The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-02-09
GOOD FOR Tho TREATY
Opinion In Washington Of the
Native Outbreak.
IT NAY DE RATIFIED TO-DAY.
Dewey Sent News Of the Fighting.Otis
Force Backed by Navy avy--Reinforoeinents
Enroute - Luzon May BE strongly
aded-Dipiomsts Interested.

kOtldl OppOneDbS Vi EdJluChllOu VI Nud
treaty adhered to their position, but the
general opinion in WASHINGTON was
that the news from Manila insur d rbe
ratification of the treaty this afternoon.
The first official news of the begin.
ming of another war came from Ad.
miral Dewey.
The following message was received
Sunday morning:
10 the secretary of the Navy, Washington:
''Insurgenls here inauguratsd gen.
eral engagement yesterday night which
was continued today. The American
army and navy is generally successful.
Insurgents have been driven back and
our hne advanced. No casualties to
navy. DEWEY"
1t seems to be Dewey's fortune al.
ways to be 0ble to report favorable
news, and, like all of his messages that
have gone before this cablegram, told
of the success of the American forces in
the action. it was with great regret,
however, that the administration
learned that the insurgents had forced
the issue IL had hoped all along that
they could be brought to ses the advan.
tages of placing their trust in the Amer
lean people and relying upon the presi.
dent to deal justly with them. The ad.
ministration argued that with the Phil.
ippiue commission fairly on the sea
enroute for Manila, bringing with them
messages from the president, and with
the peace treaty still unacted on, it was
not 10 be credited that they would re-
fuse TO wait to learn the purposes Of the
American government, but would pre-
pipitate the long impending conflict.
While this was true the officials here
and the officers in Manila had not been
blind 10 the threat contained in the
situation there and every preparation
has been made for just what occurred.
Fear of an outbreak in LuZon was the
explanation for the much commented
on failure of General Miller to force a
landing at Iloilo, on the island of Panay,
also that the landing of all troops at
Manila, where was located the center
of danger. Part of Miller's fore there
fore was returned TO Manila and that
general was lett with one regiment OF
regulars and u battalion of artillery
Just sufficient TO take advantage of any
detection in his front, but not enough
TO force his way ashore and hold his
own. Then rather as a formal authorize.
tlOn, for he dlu not need the instruction,
Dewey was told to co operate fully wlth
General OTIS IN any measures the latCer
might take. lt is believed that it was
unknown TO the insurgents, that some
OF the American warSnlps were quietly
moved inro positions where they per.
fectly commanded the iusurgent
trenches aud dgfenses, and could shell
them with effect in case of an outbreak.
The American position might have
been greatly strengthened, 1t is saId, by
o judicious extension of the lines IN
certain dire tons aud also by taking
summary measures to prevent the opera
tons of the insurgents in taking up
positions and organizing forces. Presl.
dent Mckinley took the view that per-
haps under strict con truction OF the
terms of the protocol, which still holds
good III the absence OF the ratification
OF the treaty, he lacked authority TO eX.
tend the field OF occupation of the
Americans. The fact that the insur.
gents themselves have been the first to
break the truce probably releases the
United States government from further
obligation in this respect, so that Gen.
eral Otis was unquestioEably warranted,
IN the opinion of the administration
officials, III extending his lines as Dewey
reports he has done.
The situation is regarded here as
rather anomalous from diplomatic
standpoint. Legally the Eiliplnos are
still Spanish subjects. Therefore, il
hostile operations continue outside of
the limits of Manila, as laid down in
the protocol, it will amount to a re.
sumption of the war with Spain, at
least technically.
The forces under General Otis COM
mand, as shown by the records of the
adjutant generals office Dec. 10, the
date of the last report, were 2l ,64G
troops, and OF these there were present
for duty 1856 men. This command
was composed of the following organ.
zations: Company A, United States
engineer battalion; Companies O, E, q,
L, X aud l., Fourth United States cav.
airy; troop of Nevada cavalry, Compa.
nies q, II, X and L OF the Third and ID
and q of the Sixth United States artil.
lery; Companies A and ID of the Oalitor-
MIA and A ana B of the Utah artillery
and the First Wyoming battery; the
Third and Fourth United States infan
try; the Fourteenth and headquarters
and Companies b, ID, +, II, |, Il, l. aud
M of the seventeenth United States in.
fantry; the Eighteenth, Twentieth and
Twenty. third United States infantry;
the First California, the First COLORADO,
the First Idaho, the Fifty-drst Iowa,
the Twentieth Kansas. the Thirteenth
Minnesota. the First Montana, the First
Nebraska, the First North Dakota, the
Second Oregon, the Tenth Pennsylva.
mia, the First south Dakota, the First
Tennessee, the rlrst Washington aud
the First Wyoming regiments Of voluu-
teer infantry.
A portion of this force, the Eight
eenth infantry and a battery OF artillery
are at llOlO, where General Miller was
sent month or more ago. APPROX
nately 5000 are on their way TO join
General Otis, in four separate eXpedi-
tions, though none are expected TO
reach Manila for three weeks or
month. They are as follows: The
Fourth and four companies of the
Seventeenth infantry, ! ,728 men, under
General Lawton, which sailed from Glib.
raltar last Friday; the Twentieth in
fantry. comprising 81 officers aud ,26S
men. under General Wheaton, which
ieft San Francisco Jan. "a; the Twenty
second infantry. in com mand of ColontI
Egbert. which left San Francisco early
in the present month, and 1000 men
and officers of the Third and Seven.
feenth United States regiments of IN
fanTy which lett New York Friday on
she Sherman.
There is big transDort tha Shari