The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-28

little OF a decisive character from which
war department officials could Judge
what the final outcome of the movement
would be- In all official quarters the
most intense interest prevailed, but
there was no excitement and none OF
that anxiety and tension shown during
the memorable days Of last summer
when the decisive blows were being
struck at Santiago
Early in tl,o day General Otis cabled
the war department a brief. but COM
prehensive dispatch, summing up the sit
uation. 1t disclosed that the lighting
was going on. with our forces advanced
as far north as Marlloa. while the in
surgents, under the command OF Ag-
unaldo, We're being driven back with
considerable slaughter. This and the
press dispatches satisfied the officials
that the strategic movement of entrap-
ping the insurgents between our lines
had not proved as successful as designed,
and that the move had now shifted to u
retreat by Aguinaldo's forces and pur-
suit by our troops.
The insurgents retreat toward Malolos
was slow ana dogged. and advantage
was taken OF one after another OF the
lines OF intrenchments. the burning Of
bridges and the interrupting of COM
munications. General Otis dispatch,
although received early yesterday was
sent Monday evening. Manila time, and
summed up the work OF the three days.
That the fighting would proce ed into the
fourth day was shown by his closing
sentence: The column will press on In
the morning" This refers to today.
The engagement has now shaped itself
so that IL is looked upon as more OF
chase than the execution OF a strategic
movement. With the American base
advanced TO Mariloa. and the insurgent
base forced back to Malolos. the main
bodies of the two opposing forces are
about 10 or II miles apart This could
be quickly covered in a forced march
under fair conditions. but IL is II miles OF
innumerable difficulties and obstacles
which our troops must covsS before they
reach the insurgent stronghold. 1t is
expected that the engineers with Me-
Arthur are hastily repairing the burned
bridges. This win permit the artillery
TO be taken forward as well as the i'm
fantry columns. IL is expected that
every mile OF the distance TO Malolos will
be contested by the insurgents for Gen
eral Otis reports that IL is a stretch OF
country covered with the ntrenchments
thrown up during the last three months.
Our men, therefore, must advance slow
ly. repairing the roads as they go, and at
the same time they must fight their way
through wen made rebel intrenchments.
Serious az the work Is. there is no lack
of confidence among the officials here as
to the satisfactory. outcome OF the cam
paign. Malalos is the insurgent cap
ital where the assembly has been sitting
and the insurgent government has been
operating. 1t represents more to the
insurgents than any other place IN the
Philippines. and little doubt is enter
tanned that they will make desperate
stand there.
The tactics of Aguinaldo are taking
him gradually beyond the range Of Ad-
miral Deweys guns. While the insur-
gents were al Malabon on Saturday they
were within mile of the water front,
and easily within range OF the fleet. But
as they have moved northward they
have gradually moved away from the
hay. Malolos is about seven miles back
from the bay. although there are shallow
estuaries which would permit light draft
boats to set within mile or two.
The duration Of the battle is beginning
gsts, as it is a very important element
in determining the strength OF the men,
the supplies of ammunition and stores
and the spirit of the army. The first
blow was struck before daybreak last
Saturday and the lighting continued all
that day, again on sunday and Monday
and probably today. The reports show
little night fighting, except i'm repulsing
aninsurgent attack Saturday night.
With yesterday the lighting had lasted
72 hours. Judged by the standards of
great battles, such as Waterloo. Plevna
and others this Is n long and intensely
arduous engagement. But the fighting
about Manila is quite different from The
standards OF civilized armies. as il is a
running brush conflict with only oc-
c6sional issues between organized bodies
OF troops
Some OF the battles of the Civil war
lasted many days, notably the battle of
the Wilderness and the lighting about
Richmond In speaking " the element
of endurance General Sternberg said
that ne had gone for seven days in the
continuous fighting around Richmond
without renewing the supplies originally
issued before the fghting began. The
main question in thew long continued
HEhtS 10 ~ nave All Hehifstts, SA'ttSs W.
kept abreast OF the lighting force, 20
that there may be no exhaustion In this
respect all the reports OF the fighting
above Manila are most gratifying to the
authorities here IN showing that the
quartermaster. commlssary, medical and
signal stores are wcll up with the lighting
lines.
The belief T. expressed az the war de-
partmont that the Filipinos are manu-
featuring the ammunition that is being
used with such recklessness When
General Greene was IN the Philippines
he went 10 the I'ilipinOa' campsand re-
mained some time among them. His
report 90 he president shows that the
Filipinos obtained large supply of arms
ana ammunition when Dewey captured
Cavlte. and that they had previously
obtained a supply OF Remingtons and
Mausers
EaparoI Eraopa ofan fonnN that ha