The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-06-17
The Outlook in the Philippines

Halls Family Pills are the hest
The Outlook in the Philippines
The Baltimore Sun prints the follow
ing:
The President cannot much longer
delay the settlement Of the question
whether heavy re-enforcements be de-
4patched at once or the American army
retire behind the Notifications Of Ma
Mia and sit down in supine impotence
" Really, az matters are going, there
may be q doubt whether this can be
done in security. As whispered by an
old army officer, IL would not be sur
prising should Gen Otis and his forces
find themselves beleaguered before very
long. The Filipinos are becoming more
and more bold and aggressive We
advance by day, but at night they
take their innings, and sleep is almost
impossible for our exhausted men, by
reason Of the bullets which fly thick
aud fast from twilight until dawn, pene-
tratiug every quarter Of the camp
"The fiery heat and the drenching
rain destroy all mental and physical
energy, and strength and hope and
spirit 60 down before them. Those who
are experienced declare with shivering
apprehension that unless all active oper-
ations are Immediately suspended il will
only be a week or two, or three at the
latest, before the greater part Of the
army will be disabled that the climate
will be ten times more deadly than bat
tie This would not be so if General
Otis had an army sufficiently large to
enable him to conduct campaign suit
able to all the circumstances and condi-
tions.
almost painful sensation has been
produced by the death from sunstroke
Of Captain Nichols, of the Monadnock,
for, as said if the captain Of man-of-
war, with all the conveniences and COM
forts at his command, and with no call
for physical exertion Of any kind should
succumb, how dreadful it must be for
those who have no rest in piowing knee
deep through sand and marsh, and un-
der the torrid blaze of tropical sun.
"As if to add to the trials and tribu-
| lations of brave men who are yielding
up their lives without promise or hope
through criminal blunder or willful
neglect the powder and the arms which
are supplied to many of them are iEfe.
rior to those used by the Filipinos.
| Complaints have come Of the black
powder, which discloses our location,
while the Filipinos have the smokeless
article, which cOnceals theirs "
And the Washington, d. c., Times
of last Wednesday says:
"Notwithstanding the seyerest kind
of censorship Of the press at Manila, the
meagre news which reaches US from
that point indicates a most acute and
serious situation. What. then, must be
the real one?"
Enough has leaked out to demonstrate
that the occupation and fortification OF
Paranaque By the rebels was a part Of
their plan to surround and besiege the
city, and that this place, only three
miles from Gen. Otis headquarters,
was selected rs a strong and excellent
position to form the extreme left OF
their first line of Investment The at
tack by our troops was, strictly speak
ing. a sOrtie of the Manila garrison, and
il will be noted with anxiety as we'll as
interest that all the aggressive opera
tions of the American forces for some
time back have partaken of that char
acter. "
Adiutant General Oorbin declares
that Otis has had sent him every man
he ever asked for AS we have re-
marked before. that may be literally
true, but, if so, is is no doubt equally
true that he has been ordered not to ask
for more than agiyen number of troops
Whether he has all the force he has
asked for or not, is neither here nor
there. OOrbin says he has now 3S ,O0C
men at his command. We do not for
moment believe that his effective
will come within eight or ten thous-
and Of that figure. In any event, it is
evident that Otis has not anything like
the strength demanded by his present SIT
uation. II he had. why should ne draw
in his lines until they include nothing
but the city and suburbs OF Maniiaf
And why should it have to be acknowi-
edged that all his forces are compelled
10 remain constantly on the lines, with
ont the most occasional relief, because
every man is required to successfully
defend the little area between the city
aud the pumping station five miles west
oe ~ M wall az the eeukrencbm6ufs north