The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1899-07-01
WILL REINFORCE OTIS.
THE GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO SEND
MORE MEN TO THE PHILIPPINES
surnriso Manifested at Otis silencc--strons
Pressure Will be Brought to Bear Upon
the President to Induce Him to Raise Full
Complement.

the President to Induce Him TO haiSo L I'LL
Complement.
Washington. War department OIL
Gals say the question of increasing the
military forces by call for volunteers
will be decided Immediately upon the
return of the president from New Eng
land. Exact information concerning the
demand for more troops in the Phlhp-
pines will be submitted to the war de-
partment by Gen. Otis at once and thlS
information will determine the strength
uf the volunteer force which Will De
added to the army Some surprlSou
is manifested at the comparative silence
Of Gen. Otis concerning the operations
in the Philippines during the past lew
days, and some embarrassment Is being
experienced in the consideration OF
plans for an increase of the army ny
the failure of Gen Otis to forward IN
formation concerning the oganlzatlon
If the three skeleton volunteer regl-
ments from among the discharged vol
unteers, It is understood that he Will
probably secure a nucleus Of about q
600 men for the three regiments leaV'
ing about 1000 to be recruited in this
country to complete the organizations
Final action in this matter is con-
tingent upon advices from Otis All
sorts of reports are in circulation IN re-
gard to the purposes Of the war depart
ment, but there seems to be a general
agreement that from 10, 600 to 1000
will be added to tho present military
establishment.
Three brigades or nine regiments Of
volunteers is the minimum named a
the war department as likely to be call
ed for. If the company strength is nix
ed at 1873 men each the nine regiment
would contain about 1850 men. Tn
( reinforecuments and the three voun
tper regiments Gen. Otis has been fu
"a tborizel to organize would raise tn
aggregate strength of his army to abou
az 900 men 1t would seem that wit
such an army Gen. Otis ought to h
n able TO crush the Filipinos during til
next season of active campaigning
Thnsa who are most familiar with tn
president's attitude think it likely b
will not be disposed to organize MOI
than the nine regiments spoken o
But il is known here that strong pre-
sure will be brought to bear on him
Is war department officials and by publ
mon from all sections of tho country
induce him to raise the full Compl
ment Of volunteers authorized by Il
army reorganization bill if he decld
to raise any at all 1t will be point'
out to him that he can probably Obta
all the volunteers that the law allow
that it will be the best policy to recrr
/. Mt once all that are likely to to be nee
ed rather than to run the risk of haviI
TO make a second call should the w
spread beyond the Island of Luzon
proye more difficult to suppress
that island than now seems reason
bly, probable
A similar argument was used WI
the president successfully at the o.
break of the Spanish American WI
when no intended to call for OF
100, 900 men, but was influenced
the advice Of many senator's to IA
+he figure to 1875, There is re0s
to believe if the impression
abroad that the volunteers were to
uesd for garrison duty in this CO..
try, recruiting for the proposed 4
regiments would be very slow TT
70 per cent Of the recruits recon
obtained to fill up the depleted raj
of the regular ranks of the regr
regiments in the Philippines W
men who saw service during
Spanish war, and were induced to
enlist only by the prospect Of seeing
nI..J:,,,,ns