The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1899-11-04
OUR SITUATION IN MANILA
AFTER SEVEN MONTHS WAR
The Present Campaign-The situa-
ton of Our Forces-Rai1roadsC Cap
tured-The Insurrection Grows
Outside Luzon IsInnd-Robbers
PIentifuI-stenmbOa Needed.

Chicago, Oct. 30.-Here are some fig
ures made seven months and half after
our campaign against the Filipinos be-
gan:
Say it is 81 miles Angeles, we hold
possession of the railroad up to that point.
We can fairly claim to possess the land
a half mile on each side of the track.
We have possession of the wagon road
and, let us say, half mile on each side
from San Fernando through Bacolor TO
Santa Ana, eight miles, with four to
sGuaga. We have a road from Malolos to
Balinag, ii miles northeast. We can
claim II square miles here, we have Ma
Mia, out as far as the water works, five
miles away That gives us, say 20 miles
around the city.
Then we have the road and a half mile
each side down Is miles to linus. Then
we have Calamba and some other points
on the lake that General Lawton captured
before he was ordered back. These towns
are not approached by road, but by boat
across the Laguna de Bay, and we only
control the land they stand on. Sum
ming up our total possessions, we hnd we
have III square miles.
The island OF Luzon contains $4,000
square miles.
Outside of Luzon the instruction seems
to be growing.
The insurgents hold ports in Mindanao,
the next largest island to Luzon in the
Philippines, and said to be incidentally
rich in gold and silver mines, iron and
copper ores, coal and other minerals, be-
sides wonderful forests of hard woods.
No Americans have dared venture there
as yet, as General Otis has sent no troops
to the island. Englishmen and Germans
are prowling about the island, getting
all the concessions they can. 1t is said
several prospecting parties are at work.
General Otis reports conflicts between
'the robber bands" and American sol
diers in Negros and Cebu. The Nine
teenth, the Eighteenth, the Sixth and on'
battalion of the Twenty-third infantry arr
now in these islands fighting the rob
Der bands" who dig trenches and occupy
towns and make night attacks after thu
fashion of the insurgents in Luzon
A late report from Cebu is that 2OOO'
robbers were menacing our forces and
collision was imminent.
The next campaign is going to be differ
.ent from the last We will get out of tn
flat, open country, into the mountainous
thickly wooded country. If we do not en-
the war here, we will have to carry
into the high, rocky mountains of Luxor
1t will be no violation of a state secre
to say that the first object of the mex
campaign will be to take the rest OF tn
railroad from the hands of the insui
gents. The insurgents ought to be firml
convinced by this time that we want tn
Manila and Dagupan road, as we hay
fought along that line seven months
They know we want it and they ais
know we are going to get it, for they al
already tearing up the track, burnin
the ties and burning the rails north {
Angeles.
The country east of the railroad, mort
of Angeles, is more like it is south OF MI
Mia, except high and broken. West {
the railroad are high mountains that wi
-OHer lne Insurgents Octtei OPPOi Ouii'J
retreat and escape than they had in tn
low country.
With the taking of the railroad we wi
have cut off the provinces of Zambale
Paggasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga and b
tam from the main part of the island an
can lay claim to a good deal more countr
than the precise amount of real estate o
which our army is now holding.
Another great need of the army is igf
.draught steamboats, for use in the man
lakes and rivers in Luzon. There is hare
ly a place in the world where an arnl
could use river steamers to greater advai
tage.
With almost $4,000 miles of territor
from which to draw supplies, and wit
boats coming in without any oppositio
from Hong Kong, Japan, and from Cel
trail and South America, and Australi
the insurgents are probably doing well I
far as supplies are concerned.