The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-21
PLAN OF GOVERNMENT.
Natives to BE Permitted to Settle LO-
cal ProbIems-Eighth Army Corps.

Natives to BE Permitted to Settle Lo-
cal ProbIems-Eighth Army Corps.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, June 2O.-The nlan which
the President is said to have given favor
able consideration to with regard to the
Philippines is this: To give the natives the
right to set up a local free government and
to reserve to this government the control
of the revenues and foreign relations of the
islands,. the first to secure payment of
part of the war debt and the second to pre-
vent the United States from becoming en-
broiled in complications through any bad
breaks by the natives, while the debt is in
process of liquidation. This arrangement
will leave the natives free to settle local
problems to their own satisfaction and save
the United States from many perplexities.
With this explanation, 1t becomes clear how
Admiral Dewey could cordially cooperate
with the insurgent leader Aguinaldo. who
has already set UP an independent govern
ment
An additional army corps to be known as
the Eighth, is to be created. 1t will be COM
posed of the troops assigned to the Philip
pine islands and will be in command of Mai
Gen. Wesley Merritt. The creation of the
new corps is by direction of the President
and authority is conferred upon General
Merritt to transfer the command of the
corps to the next officer in rank at such
time as he may deem it expedient to do So
as matter of military administration, in
order that he may be left free to devote his
attention to important matters of govern
ment connected with the Philippine islands
There is reason to believe that the creation
of the new corps is the following out of an
cd Nv
Upon his arrival at the Philippine islands
General Merritt Will transfer the active
command of the Eighth Corps to Maj. Gen.
E. S. Otis, now his second in command AS
military governor of the Philippines General
Merritt will have so many duties of an ad-
ministrative character to perform that it
would be impracticable for him to retain
the active command of the troops on the
islands. He will be- of course the supreme
military authority in the Philippines, but
the direct command of the United States
forces there will devolve upon General Otis
Promotions of the following regular army
officers will shortly be announced, the off,
GERS in each case being given commissions
in the volunteer service and assigned to the
staff of General Merritt Major James H.
Barry, to be lieutenant colonel and assistant
adiutant general: Major e. H. Crowder, to
be lieutenant colonel and judge advocate;
First Lieutenant Charles l.. Potter, Corps of
Engineers. to be lieutenant colonel and chief
engineer; Captain Charles w. Whipple,
Ordnance Department. to be lieutenant colo
mel and inspector general.
1t was announced at the War Department
to-day that no additional transports other
than the Newport, which has been i'm
pressed on the Pacific coast, had been Sc
cured. The officials however have been
busily engaged during the day in comforting
with the agents of steamship companies as
well as individual owners, with view to Sc
curing additional vessels. The department
is decidedly averse to resorting to impress
ment for various reasons and only does it
when all other efforts to obtain the ships
fail. Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn to-day
said that the impressment of vessels for
transports would be the exception and not
the rule, unless the latter was absolutely