Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-08-11
NEED MORE TROOPS.
Gen. Merritt Wants an Army Of
$4,000 Men at Manila.
TIE PROBLEM OF The PHILIPPINES.
fhs Attitude TO BE Assumed Towards the
Insurgents PusEling the Administration
1t Waahington-A Commission
Considered Dangerous

Considered Dangerous
San Francisco, Aug. At Is posi-
bic that within two weeks every avail
able soldier now in camp at San Fran.
cisco will be on the way to Manila.
An important cablegram has been re-
ceived via Hong Kong by Maj Gen.
Merriam from Maj Gen. Merritt, mill
tary governor Of the Philippines ask
ing for q statement as to the number
Of troopships dispatched for Manila
since his departure, dates OF their sail
ing and number Of soldiers carried by
each. In the same dispatch Gen. Mer-
rift virtually called for 10000 more
troops In addition to the quota Of 90
900 already assigned him. The latter
part Of the telegram is duplicate OF
. message sent by Gen. Merritt TO the
war department
II is evident that Gen. Merritt con-
siders the situation at Manila very
serious, not so much owing to the
Spaniards in the city as to the bold
and threatening attitude assumed by
Aguinaldo and his insurgents, who are
msniiesting an ugly disposition to
carry on an independent warfare. Up
TO date there have been sent from San
francisco $1,000 troops for the Philip.
pines, OF whom $4,000 have arrived
Ut Manila and 1000 are en- route.
The rest Of the quota is 1900,
which, with the $4,000 addi-
tional now called for, will make $4,000
troops yet to be transported from San
Francisco II the demand OF Gen. Mer-
ritt is complied with. There are i'm
mediately available at San Francisco
ok full regiments, aggregating $500
men. These are the Seventh Califor-
nis, First Tennessee, Twentieth Kan.
sss, Fifty-Arst Iowa, First Washing.
ton and Eighth California There are
also 1900 recruits. These 5000 men
can be sent to Manila as fast as steam
ers can be furnished for their trans.
portation.
THE PROBLEM OF THE PHILIPPINES.
Washington, Aug. 4. AN interesting
question and one Of vital Importance
70 the administration is the attitude
10 be assumed by the United States To.
ward the Philippine insurgents in the
event that we reach an agreement for
the suspension OF hostilities with
Spain. 1t is stipulated In our peace
terms that the United States military
forces shall occupy and establish a
military form Of government over
the city Of Manila and the
bay, with the surrounding terri.
tory. This involves an immedi.
ate surrender Of the Spanish forces,
mot TO Aguinaldo, but to Gen. Merritt,
and there Is apprehension that the In.
surgents will resent this very bitterly,
and that 1t will be necessary to expel
them forcibly from the territory de.
scribed. Beyond this, IT Is said In some
quarters that pending the decision Of
the peace commissioners as to the
future Of the Philippines, the United
States will be morally bound TO ma n.
tain the statu quo in the islands ut
large. In other words, having deprived
Spain Of the means Of resisting the
onslaughts OF the insurgents, 1t has
been urged that the United States
would be bound to prevent the latter
from cor tinulng their warfare. There
IL q lack Of information In Washing.
ton on many important points as to
the conditions In the Philippines. For
instance, II is not known, even ap-
proximately, how extensive the
revolutionary movement has been
throughout the vast group OF 1900
islands and among the large popula.
ton, estimated to aggregate between
5000, 900 and $4,000, 900. II the revolu-
tionary movement is general and ex-
tends TO very many Of the islands the
task presented to the United States
military and naval authorities will be
one OF great magnitude, in the event
1t Is decided TO be incumbent upon us
not only 10 restore Spanish sovereignty
where II has been lost, but to pre- vent
Its overthrow in sections where IT is
still supreme, and to prevent excuses
and outrages at the hands Of the in.
surgents.
A COMMISSION CONSIDERED DANGEROUS.
London, Aug. A dispatch TO the
Daily Mail from Singapore says:
President McKinleys proposal that com.
mission should decide the future government,
Of the Philippines Is considered here rs giving
Spain chance Of recovering partial authority
over her revolted subjects The state Of
things, II Is thought, might afford IN opening
for intrgues on the part OF foreign powers un-
friendly to America, Great Britain and Japan
and might prove dangerous to the cause Of
permanent peace In the Pacific