The evening times., 1899-06-14
A SERIOUS SITUATION.
Heavy. Re-enfercenenfs Needed
G,nmhaf 49, Tarul IrsSnruesa.

Heavy Re-enfsrceaenfs Needed I.
Combat the Tasal InSersents.
The Baltimore SUM- this morning print
the following. under Washington dat
line:
1 within twenty-four hours of the pre-
diction made in this correspondents tina
| Manila might be in danger comes the ful-
fiIlment of 1t. After the Cabinet meeting
| today. which was the longest one fol
months. the President quickly retired tC
his private apartments while the members
Of the Cabinet left the White House with
serious countenances. 1t is understood the
/ entire time was consumed in the coasid-
| Grafton of the situation in the Philippines
THE President and his advisers. in read
ing over the despatch of General Otis that
the FiIipinos were threatening to attack
Manila, forcing him to make the first
movement. made no attempt to conceal
from each other the conviction that affairs
! had reached the critical stage. Scanning
! between the lines OF this brief cable OF
. General Otis 1t is impossible to avoid the
/. conviction that the advance of today
would not have been made except from the
necessity OF meeting promptly the advance
of the Filipinos. who have changed places
| with our forces, and are now the attacking
party.
/ TT came out in the Cabinet meeting that
! several of the cities and towns lying
around Manila have been occupied at
least four times by our forces and then
abandoned. 1t Is this which disarms the
natives of fear at our approach and en-
, boldens even the non -cOmDatants to fire
from doors and windows at our soldiers
| on their successive retreats from 'ad-
vances.'
"A further very important point which
impressed itself upon the White House
conclave was the doubt whether the Fill
pinos will permit a cessation of hostilities
during the rainy season. Heretofore this
, has been supposed to be purely matter
I for US TO determine. But the natives have
| become so bold aggressive, defiant, and
confident that they are looked for now to
take this into their own hands.
''The heat and the storm have no errors
for them, and it will be no more than PAS
time for them to keep our wornout men on
the stretch during the three months ap-
paliing period which lies before them.
appreciation in some degree of the cir
cumstances confronting the Administra-
tion was exhibited in the announcement
made this afternoon of the order to throw
heavy re-enforce ements into the Philip nss
with the least possible delay. There is
Still, however, tne heSltatlOn TO DOW 10
the inevitable, and call for additional en-
listments The regular army as nt pres
ent constituted is to be subject TO a heavy
drain. SO heavy, indeed, it has bsen deemed
incumbent to issue an official explanations
that our western and northwestern from
tiers will be left sufficiently guarded
against possible Indian or other disturb
ances. 1t is not belived this explana
tion will be altogether satisfactory TO
those concerned. .--.
1T is the part of wisdom to send two
negro regiments Of the regular army in
the first batch of endorsements. They
have already had the benefit and the ex-
perience Of tropical service; they have
proved themselves efficient and adven-
turous soldiers. and the dangers to them
OF the climate are minimized. According
to the present Official outgivings the army
Of General Otis is TO be increased TO 3D.
coo men. This will not be nearly enough |
and it would be much the best for the |
Administration to admit it frankly. and at
orce. The desperate fighting of today. |
the overwhelming force Of the enemy. and
the possession of field pieces show abun- |
dant resources in men, arms. and ammuni |
ton. II is significant also that the army |
had all il could do to maintain itself with |
the assistance OF the shells of the moni- |
tors and gunboats"