The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-08
Hope OF. Putting Dawn Philippine
Instruction Fading.
ENEMY IS STILL ACTIVE
THIRTY THOUSAND REBELS
SCATTERED IN ISLANDS.
Definite Whereabouts of These Forces
Unknown to Americans-Futile
Efforts to Capture the Leader
United States Soldiers In Need of
Provisions.

New York, Dec. IA dispatch to the
Herald from Manila says: Hope of
ending the instruction and hating
military operations in the Philippines,
which seemed so bright a few days
ago. has again faded into the uncer-
tain future.
Much has been accomplished. During
the last few weeks the campaigning
has been almost phenomenal. In dread
full weather, through devastated
country, across swollen rivers, along
roads that were impossible for wagons,
artillery and in some cases for cavalry,
the advances of the troops have been
so rapid and in so many directions that
they have often been beyond the mill
tary telegraph lines and operations
have necessarily been Independently
conducted by the field commanders.
The army is rightfully proud.
The insurgents have had a series of
routs and disasters. The slaughter has
been great. They have lost a large
quantity of supplies and munitions of
war, and more than 1000 of their armed
men have surrendered or been cap
tured during their retreat in the last
=.
been scattered or captured. What of it
is at liberty is in flight A portion of
Aguinaldo's family are in our lines.
Aguinaldo himself is fugitive.
Pessimistic View Taken.
Notwithstanding all these things,
there is no reason for an extreme OPP
timistic view of the situation. Nothing
more is heard of having the rebellion
stamped out in the course of a few
days. That sort of talk only lasted
while the insurgent leader was slip
ping away last week. Field command
ers now thing that the end is still afar.
1t is admitted that little is definitely
known of the present strength or
whereabouts of the insurgents. Aguin-
aldo'S entire army is estimated at from
20, 900 to 10000 armed men. scattered
throughout the islands. There are $4,000
American soldiers now in the Philip
pines, $4,000 being in Luzon. These are
already so greatly scattered by the re
cent operations, with the exception of
those in Manila where $4,000 are con-
centrated, that they seem like mere
handful.
Still we hold less than one-third of
the area of LuZon, but what we have
is the most desirable territory Indi-
cations are that Aguinaldo escaped to
the north with much larger body of
troops than was at first supposed. This
force, reported at from 1000 to 1900
men, was originally recruited in the
northern provinces, and the men are
reputed TO be good fighters.
Distribution of Troops.
Not one of our columns is in direct
contact with the enemy. 1t is a game
of hide and seek, and a weary game it
is. Here is a statement of the move
ments of the various field command RS
General Young with his small force
of tired men and animals, il slowly fol-
loving the insurgents INTO the noun
taIns toward Banquet. and has not been
heard from Cor a week.
Captain James Il. Erwin with the
Fourth cavalry, is suppos ID u be hold
ing BayomDong in Nueva Eizcaraya.
There is no information as TO what in
sursents are II the northern valley
General L1wtor is now coming south
toward San Isidre, whence he viii push
his column directly south on San Mi
gueliand NorSag9Hy To n1aet the Ameri-
can column r.ovi.:g eastward from 30
cad. 1t Is his intention To give TIE
rebel Pillar into the region north of the
lake.
General Wheaton is in Tayug. Most
of his troops in the vicinity are garri-
sening nearby towns.
General Macarthur is on the railroad
at Bayambang.
Colonel Bell is following westward
into the mountains the remnants of
General Alejandrino's troops, estimated
at $500 men.
Burt is moving with a small com
mand from Odonnell westward over
the mountains to Iba on the coast.
General Grant is moving from Flor
ida Blanca southwark to Balanga, Ba-
taan province.
Seat of Active Campaign.
Cavite province will be the seat of
an active campaign when enough
troops arrive to shut off all avenues of
escape unless an unexpected surrender
occurs. All the $4,000 American troops
:fill be easily absorbed in active cam
paigning and garrisoning. The army
cannot continue its present eXertions
another month with the poor food found
in the country without much illness.
1t is the general opinion that the
five known insurgent organization of
more than 1000 men each, will at the
present rate be disintegrated into
guerilla bands within thirty days.
Ii is the impression of the military
authorities that 10000 men will be suf-
flcient 20 garrison LuZon a few months
hence. Field officers and others insist
however. that unless the natives sur
render their arms. Luzon must be gar
rlsoned town by town, while protection
must be guaranteed to the natives now
ION the fence" until a reaction in ia
vor of the Americans begins.