The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-04
INCHING UP ON THE DoNS.'
oEM MERRrTrs DorNGs BEFoRE TINE
FINAL ASSAULT.

He went Ahead and Carried out HIS Plan
without the slightest Attention to AGui
naIdo--when He Wanted T~ranspOrtatio
Facilities He Seized and Paid for Them
Astor battery Posted within 1000 Yard
OF the I,nemy-CorduroyinE the ROAD
OAv1rF. July 3O.-we are lnchlng up on tn
Spaniards and turning down the Insurgents !
the same time. No doubt II will all be over ion
before this gets halfway across the racine on y
way home. but, perhaps, even then there WI
ho some interest in the details. As l said In
p~reyious letter, ARuinaldo has been doing IN
very best n clever young man with rev y.
vantaRes and small means can do to compl
cate matters here, and he has had some u
adyertent assistance. BY the time Gen. Mel
rift got here the correspondence. betwee
the insurgent chief and Cen. Anderso
had Rrown rather voluminous, and u
diplomatic advantage was not Win "
American. Gen. Anderson had finally pee
brought to the point Of simply
the receIpt Of Aguinaldo's letters aud saylu
that they would be referred to Gen. merriI
Gen. Merritt has wasted no time Nhatever VII
the insurRent leader. The question OF the'pr'
curement OF transportation facilities, oN
WHICH B16T6 Ndu bONh ~ "aS
| he settled out Of hand by sending out MAJ
Thompson, his chief signal oflcer, with q d
tachment to seize what animals and conve'
ances we're needed. They pay what they thif
Ia a fair price for whatever they take. and u
| only trouble so far has been that they ma
| paid too much. They are bulling the marx
| and running the natives and b~ankruptlnR u
| Americans. They have actually paid lOO p9I
for a horse that could have been bought toB
| But the satisfactory part OF 1t Is that theSr
| what they want. and Aguinaldo's desy
orders do not figure In the TRANSACTION one |
From this good start the General Al the |
further. By his orders Gen. G~reeDAmped
regulars OF the Eighteenth Infantry work.
at Camp Dewey, FORWARD ON op6coupied
They moved up elise 70 the tren9
by the insurg9sst hnes. fed up into
Tho Aste battery has been6urgents in
the tvc5Hnes occupied by tire so far up
fra Malate. Our outpoSs a brush be-
IRt occasionally where theTnari,rds So
tween the insurgents and Rver tho FiiinInn.
ish bullets and shells HYo ono was hit hui
dropped among our men Cen Merritt sort
tnat was good luck q him to ston The in
word to AGuinaldo as6 The snan,ords ,na
surGents from flriRguinaldo complied nv
provoking a reply from tho tronchas IA
Withdrawing his forward. Their gums arg
the Astors were Sss than a thousand vsrds
~ p0s,1Ion noTThey are supported by the
~ 'ne eneBf the Third Artillery as in
80, snySattalion of infantry is held al
rnr I' "nuke ready to move to their re-
49,, at once II necessary.
49, 9es Is collecting material to trans
nII ~ artillery to the front and into the
.to.syIt Is the intention to corduroy the ;
oadJThis will be done by covering them
,,.Ihmboo mats. such as the natives use for ;
e flooring. instead Of In the usual way at |
le with logs. The bamboo corduroy will Z
o the advantage that 1t can be taken up I
r the guns have passed and carried ahead I
e used again. Our men at the front have {
'rs not to begin any action. but to respond =,
ey are fired on as this Is written the re-
8 OF rifles and an occasional gun are coming y
'ss the bay from In front Of Malate, but 1t !
lot be told from here whether the firing Is =
nr men or at insurgents further inland. Il
~. Merritt has been very active in in Y
ling himself about the character OF the n
ltry around Manila. particularly to the 8
b and east. It is from one OF those direc- 3
; that the attack will be made-if indeed, it IL
es to a fight. The engineers are also hard =
DIRK making maps. Parties are out con- q
tly. They have followed the insurgent :,
iCu oLOuIu bIe city bCNeTdl times ana u
made accurate locations OF the Spanish 4,
osts. besides obtaining a lot Of Information w
t the strength Of the main Spanish lines +
he location OF guns on the walls. The en- g.
ers are engaged now In taking sights from "
CHI towers and tall buildings about Manila 81
,Iects In the city and so coming to exact
'urements Of distances. b
linaldo does his best to keep at the head
> procession. but it is evident that lie is L.
g behind. The question of what will hap
o the insurgents after Manila falls is al
worrying him.. The Filipino object will tt
been accomplished when the Spaniards "a
riven out OF the city: that is. the main OBJ sit
After that there will be no need OF an in re-
mt army, and the question arises what ha
he Fillpinos do with their arms? II the Ma
are wise there will be a general and fit
ugh disarmament. How to accomplish that wi
OF the problems Gen. Merritt must decide. c1
laldo ~foresees that possibility. andi is plan be
to ~forestall it If he can. He has an
N to Gen. Merritt. asking as a matter of Go
e to the Filipinos. n as a great privilege be-
that when the city finally does surrender err
Q Americans his army be permitted to tho
/ through the streets. He wants to make dis
march through the strong city OF say
ppressors. 1t would be a great triumph of
anu q kreuC glory. WnnC political as POI
&c 1t would give him In the way OF pres E
n influence over the tribes and factions tina
ire opposed to him. is one of the things sci
derritt will consider in making his reply of
iinaldo's request. He has not yet reached wit
rmination. onl
lnaldo does not want his men disarmed. ma
he makes this suggestion to Gen. res
t to avoid It: That there be formed req
j regiments Of Filipinos. to be oflcered be
mericans. and to be kept as part Ma
regular force OF the Americans in cap
Philippines as long as they main ere
armed force In the islands. The fact IN n
tina suggestion brings up most forclbly wol
action OF the Filipinos In going over by Ing
regiments to the ~spaniards in the pres s ena,n,
'ellion. 1t would be difficult to find an NIT
can officer here who would take such q hay
md voluntarily. They recall the great ate,
mutiny. and they are not blind to tho the
that are occurring here almost daily. cas-
Q Is a curious story here about q procla- eve
which was not issued. 1t is announced quiz
% Of the first acts OF Gen. Merritt after a a
e Manila will be the issuance OF a proc the
IN to the people OF the islands announc- ~
establishment OF a provisional govern finn