Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-27

81 always imagined" writes q volunteer
at Manila. that New Jersey was the head
quarters for mosquitoes. but Manila has de-
privcd that neck OF the woods Of all such
honors. And ants-goc whia' they are here
by the millious-rCd ants with jaws like
crocodiles. black ants with a stinger sharper
than any bee that ever manufactured honey,
brown ants. gray ants. ants With wings and
ants with nothing but a determination to
make life miserable for a solder. They
build nests in your hair, pull your ears. MI
your nose, crawl over your shirt and under
your shirt, and, in fact. they get in your
shoes, torture you in daytime. sleep with
you at night, and eat with you at dinner
time. Why, as l write, a couple are crawl
ing over this very page, as If to show con-
tempt for my opinion Of ants So YOU see
soldering in the Philippines is no snap"
The cablegram from the officers Of the
Minnesota regiment at Manila to the gov
ernor of Minnesota, saying: The regiment
must be ordered home and mustered out of
the service at once" caused considerable
alarm in st. Paul and Minneapolis. What
prompted the urgent appeal is not known.
1t is left to surmise, and naturally the rela-
tives and friends Of the soldiers take n
gloomy view Of the request. 1t does not
differ much from the tone Of private letters
which have reached this country from the
soldiers at Manila. \ private in the
Twenty-third infantry tells of the home
longing of the soldiers in a letter quoted
by the New York Evening Pest. He SAYS:
ne soldiers want to come home TO America.
where they can be in civilization once more.
The land of the Filipinos has no charms
for them. They are getting tired of hearing
and seeing so much of these half civilized
tribes
Frank NJ. Erb of Allegheny, a private in
the pennsylvania volunteers. in a letter
dated February %, says: Take my advice,
and don't enlist in the regulars. for you
are good for three years. l am not sorry
l enlisted, but you see we have had some
excitement and We only have about four
teen months time to serve, If they keep us
our tull time, which is not likely. We will
no doubt start home as soon as we get
these niggers rounded up"
According to Washington dispatches only
Z per cent of the volunteers Indicated a de-
sire to remain in the service for six months
longer. The government has, in conse-
quence, decided to bring home the volun-
teers as rapidly as transports can be had.
La Lucha, a newspaper relic of Spanish
control at Havana, and a yellow of the
new regime, is not at all satisfied with the
way the Americans are running the town
and the island, ana is constantly roasting
the officials. Several intimations were con-
Neyed to the publisher that a continuation
oil the abuse would not be tolerated. La
Lucia replied to the hints with this card:
WARNING.
The Havana newspapers are hereby cau-
toned against publishing any comment
derogatory to the civil or military governors
OF the city of Havana, or any of their STAFF
officers. The king can do no wrong, These
Two rulers are above criticism, and by ex-
erclsing the God-given right of free express
sion or opinion you render yourselves liable
TO a libel suit, a fine, and a term in a nasty,
horrld dungeon, with rats. We know"
The warning was a bit of editorial sarcasm.
continued undated, but instead
OF getting a taste of military force General
Ludlow entered suit for libel. The trial is
TO take place in the civil court of Havana
early next month. The proceeding is an in
in Cuba and will attract wide
spread attention.