Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-20

not even acknowledge anybodys rule.
much less that of Spain, it is difficult
to see how the Spaniards are to fare
better than they are now doing in
Cuba, provided the whole archipelago
is aroused. The climate of the
islands Is hot and unhealthy; wild
mountain ranges whose sides are COW
erd with impregnable jungles, and
whose bowels are pierced with great
earthquake assures. run from north
to south and furnish an eternal de-
Tense for the native. The feeling of
defiance is reaching the local troops;
for when asked whether they will fight
for Spain against the insurgents they
say that they will, but add: I'VE
won't shoot our own people" Spain,
with only her 1000 to 5000 troops and
officers, has to cope in Manila alone
with native population of 300. 900,
and, although she may preserve order
under the guns of the old walled
town, with it's meats. it's draw bridges
and it's gates. she has a hard task to
look after the back country.
Then, too. many of the half castles
who are to be counted among the in
surgents are men of ample means.
Names like those of Roxas and
Yangco stand for men whose fortunes
run up into the millions, and who of
themselves own and operate lines of
steamers.
But the Spaniards are moving quickly
and do not hesitate to throw any one
into prison who is suspected. The seals
of letters going through the postofiice are
not respected, and even cipher cables have
to be translated into readable matter be-
fore being dispatched by the business
houses. The censorship on the press is
rigid, and outside of IA small amount of
very general information on the rebel
lion, about all that one sees in this con-
nection Is that so and so has donated
perhaps 1000 packages of cigarettes for
the troops that are fighting for the glo-
rious honor of the mother country; that
somebody else has given fifty bags of rice
Spain to help keep the sacred flag from
being spotted with the taints OF defeat
and disgrace.
Spain's worst enemy in the islands is
the corruption and cruelty and coward
ice of her officials. The facts are almost
incredible to Americans. The govern
more corrupt than that which holds sway
in Havana. and from officials in the
custom house who appropriate two or|
three bottles of champagne out of eaci.
case imported by English firms or strug-
Cling native houses. in order to see that
it Is real. to those in the city hail who|
pocket two-thrids. of the funds devoted tol
supplies for the feeding of native troops
corruption is rampant. The natives are
heavily taxed and if they cannot show
by their papers that their tax. bills have
streets by the "guardia civil tied up
with cords and marched off to become re-
cruits for local regiments. Before the
active breaking out of the present rebel
drafted into the service for subduing the
hill tribe aborignes in the islands to the
south.
Not long ago coastwise steamer of 900
tons which was bringing down from the
North load of these freshlvdrafted re-
cruits to Manila. was struck by a typh BON
not fifty miles from her destination and
swamped with all on board save three
Most all of her human cargo We're locked
down below. but two native boys and a
Spanish woman managed to get clear of
the wreck before it sucked them down A
shark. however. soon bit off the leg of the
white woman and lessened the number
two These two natives .fioated for twol
nights and a day. tossed this way and
that but eventually reached the rock
bound coast more dead than alive Such
disasters this on top of the wholesale
drafting system have only added fuel tol
the names OF luminosity which the island
ers feel toward the Spaniards, and nearly
every week would find Il crowd of Weep
ing women saying '.Adios' to their sons
brothers or husbands who We're being
shipped off to the South to fight against
a race OF the Veriest savages. that knew
no more of Spain than that pack of for
eign devils Were trying to take away their
hunting grounds.
In fighting these so-callerl "Moros" OIL
Mindanao. the usual tactics of the Span
lardS are to put a draft of -convicts Gull
ed from the Manila prisons in the front
rank, the native troops, armed with oldl
rifles in the second. the Spanish troops
in the third and all the officers in the
rear. II the convicts are cut to pieces mol
harm IS done. if the native troops are 4
routed that is serious. but if the Spanish
DIVISIONS were touched-that usually
means that everybody runs-with the Off i
GERS in front. In one of these desperate
struggles | know of n Spanish officer
who, while fleeing heller SHELTER. fell intol
deer pit nicely concealed with bamboot
and was somewhat hurt. He received |
the cross of honor for being wounded on |
the field of battle after gallant service
But now the native troops are called
upon not to fight the savages at thel
south but to stand up and shoot theirl
own relatives who are trying to throw offl
the yoke. Thos they refuse to do and
desert in droves when coerced Thus |
practically the whole of Span's half casteI
and native troops are either inactive orI
arayed against her. Unless she puts a |
very large European army in the field II |
seems Impossible that she should hold /
any but her fortified towns and even with
such a force a campaign into the countryI
is foredoomed to failure for the same
reasons that have brought disaster to her
attempts in Cuba. Altogether the pros-
pect in the Philippines is dark for Sinai