Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-12-18
GEN. MERRITT IN NEW York
The Late Commander of the Forces in
5 the Philippines,

ACCOMPANIED BY HIS NEW WIFE
AND HER RELATIVES. ARRIVED
FROM LONDON YESTERDAY-THE
GENERAL TALKS OF THE PHIL
IPPINES AND THE FILTPINOS.
INSURGENTS ANGERED BECAUSE
PREVENTED FROM LOOTING.
AGUINALDO MADE WRITTEN
COMPLAINT.
New York, December 17.-Major Gen
eral Wesley Merritt, late commander
of the United States military forces in
the Philippine islands, from which post
he was called to Paris to consult with
the American peace commissioners,
reached this city to-day on board the
steamer Lueania from Queenstown.
With Gen. Merritt were his bride, her
mother, Mrs; Norman Williams, and
Norman Williams, Jr., Of Chicago, and
Capt. l.. H. Strother, aide-de-camp on
the staff of Gen. Merritt. The General
will resume command of the military
department Of the East, which position
he held when he was ordered to the
far East. The General received hear
ty greeting from those assembled at
the Cunard line pier, as the Lucanla
was made fast there. From the steam
ship pier the Merritt party went in
carriages to the WaldOrf-Astoria.
ct is some time since l left the
Philippine islands, said Gen. Merritt,
! land all that l can say about the sit
uation there when | left is contained
in official reports which l made to the
government and the peace commission.
All of these, excepting one. which l
made to the Paris commission on the
political situation in the Philippines,
have been published in the newspapers,
and there is no use Of my going over
those subjects again. l can say, how
ever, that there is no foundation for
the report that Admiral Dewey's
health has broken down as a result Of
HIS WONDERFUL WORK
in Manila harbor ON May l last. He
was in fine physical condition when
left him, and he was then over the
strain of the naval fight. There is an
other thing that | would like the peo-
pie to know. 1t is that the climate OF
the Philippines is not by any means
as it is said to be. l met a number of
Europeans there who had been in the
country for fourteen years or more,
and they seemed to thrive and had no
serious complaints about the climate
to make. The mortality among our
troops sent to preserve order there
would not be as great as some would
have the people believe.
"The Germans acted a little queer
when | got there first. They were kind
of meddlesome in matters which |
think they should have let alone. The
German officers there made me no Off
cial calls until Manila had fallen, and
then their visit was not what might be
termed friendly There was no seri-
Gus clash and 1 am glad of it. The
volunteers behaved nobly during the
fight we had. They are good soldiers.
LAS to General Miles bill to increase
the United States army to one hundred
thousand at present l cannot discuss
the proposed measure for the reason
that l have not yet seen a copy of it.
l think it will take about
THIRTY THOUSAND SOLDIERS
to hold the islands in case this coun-
try desires to keep them, and | see no
reason why it should not. | have no
comment to make on the SO-called eX-
pansion which is being discussed pro
and con these days. There are many
Spaniards on the islands that want to
remain there. With $4,000 United States
soldiers and the remaining 10000 even
ly divided between the Filipinos and
Spaniards, | feel sure the islands could
be governed properly and with credit
to this country.
Il did not meet Aguinaldo, but | am
satisfied he is very shrewd man. l
did not recognize the insurgents, fear
ing complications. Admiral Dewey,
after my arrival, pursued the same
course. What was said or done before
my arrival l cannot state. l did not
recognize Aguinaldo, nor his troops,
nor use them in any way. l had been
there ten days before Aguinaldo asked
to see me. and then | was too busy.
Talking with leading Filipinos, l
told them the United States had no
promises to make, but they might be
assured that the government and the
people of this country would treat
them fairly.
"Purposely We did not give the in
surgents notice of our attack on Manila
because we did not need their cooper
alton and did not propose TO have it.
We were moved by fear that they
might loot and plumber and possibly
murder. Conversing with American
officers, Aguinaldo's subordinate lead
ers frequently said that they intended
TO CUT THE THROATS
of all the Spaniards in Manila.
"Aguinaldo himself wrote a COM
planning letter, saying that the insur-
gents had been denied their share of
the booty, whatever he may have
meant by that. l took no notice of this
letter nor did I think that the COM
plants of the Filipinos was a matter
for discussion between Aguinaldo and
any representative of the American
government.
"The American peace commissioners
had hard task to make the Spaniards
understand that the colonies were lost
forever to Spain. They accomplished
Al, ;ob rra1l and SiCDod q troafy which