The times., 1898-08-03
SITUATION At MANILA
Six Thousand More Troops to
Re-enforce Gen. Merritt.
TRANSPORTS ARE SCARCE
Fear That the C0mmf N ding General
May Have to Contest With the
Natives as Wen as the spnniards
Next Expedition 10 Sail in About
Ten Days.

| The Philippine situation continues t.
occupy the attention Of the Administra
| ton, and in the face of persistent de
nial that there is any cause for alarm ol
| uneasiness unusual energy is being ex
| ercised to get more troops off from Sar
| Francisco to re-enforee Gen. Merritt.
There is manifest reluctance in of.
fetal circles 10 discuss the preparations
now being made in response to the cal
| of the commanding general at Cavite.
Secretary Alger, when asked IL more
troops than originally intended for the
Philippine campaign would be sent to
Gen. Merritt, said yesterday:
with the forces already at Cavite and
those en- route, Gen. Merritt has abou,
1900 men under his command. There
are 6,0G0 yet TO be embarked from San
Francisco now in that city, which will
make up the fun 10000 originally intend
ed for the campaign. We are doing
everything in our power to get the re-
manning 5000 troops off.
There is some difficulty about securing
transports, but we hope to embark the
last man within a very short time
When asked if more than the 10000 men
would be sent to the Philippines, the
Secretary said: mo, we have not ar
ranged TO increase the number"
In view of the delay that has char
acterized every expedition hitherto dis
patched, and considering the difficulties
now to be met in forwarding the last
5000 Of the army originally intended
the anxiety of the War Department is
not 10 be wondered at
1t may be two weeks yet before the
last of the troops assigned TO Merritts s
command get away from San Francisco
and the possibility of getting 10000 more
10 him in sufficient time to be OF any aid
in the impending crisis is remote in
deed
The 6000 men now waiting for trans
ports cannot be expected TO reach Manila
for four or five weeks at least. and the
work OF securing transportation for any
additional troops will be difficult in the
extreme. For previous expeditions 1t was
found necessary to impress vessels that
were hardly seaworthy and totally made
quate TO the undertaking, and the War
A~SPAA siA1NAA idS cliiOSl uSSpdiISu OF Ills
ability to transport re-enforcements to
Gen Merritt in time to De of much ser
vice in an emergency which may be en-
countered any hour.
1t is quite natural, therefore, that the
officials concerned should decline 10 dis
cuss the seriousness OF the situation.
Oficial denials TO the contrary not
withstanding, Gen. Merritt has asked for
re-enforcements in addition to the COCO
men now awaiting transportation, and of
these he complains that they should have
been on their way to the Philippines long
ago.
This statement is made ON the author
ity of an Administration member of the
House Committee on Military Affairs, who
read the dispatch lately received from
Cavite.
1t is currently reported that the Presi-
dent hopes for speedy developments from
pending peace negotiations, SO that the
Philippine issue may be disposed of pa
cifcally.
1t is not thought that Gen. Merritt is in
any danger. In fact, he said as much in
his message, but what he is supposed to
fear is a movement against Manila by the
insurgents which might compel him to
interfere, and perhaps TO fight both Span
iards and natives