oughout the islands. Bunge (1983) notes: "In the eyes of Filipinos, their relationship with the United States was that of two nations joined in a common struggle against Spain" (22). Aguinaldo commanded 12,000 troops which were able to keep a slightly larger Spanish force bottled up inside Manila until American reinforcements should arrive. At the time, though Aguinaldo was displeased that the United States would not commit on paper an assertion of support for Philippine independence. In fact, the Navy Department had ordered Admiral Dewey to distance himself from Aguinaldo and not to make any untoward commitments. The war with Spain continued, and the future of the Philippines remained uncertain. The immediate objective was the capture of Manila, and it was thought best to accomplish this without the help of the insurgents. Soon there were some 12,000 American troops in the region, and relations between these forces and those of the rebels deteriorated rapidly.
By the summer of 1898 the region was also becoming a site of rivalry between the U.S., the Filipinos, and the European powers, and Manila Bay was now filled with the warships of Great Britain, Germany, France, and Japan. Each group was ostensibly there to protect its own interests. The Spanish cause was clearly doomed. A secret agreement was made between the Spanish governor and the American military commanders in early August 1898 concerning the capture of Manila so that American forces in their assault would not bombard the city and would not allow the insurgents to take part, while the Spanish in their turn would only put up a show of resistance. Both sides would be spared casualties. This is precisely what took place, and clearly there had been a major and significant shift in roles: "At the beginning of the war, Americans and Filipinos had been allies against Spain in all but name; now Spanish and Americans were in a partnership that excluded the insurgents...