The Portland daily press., 1899-03-29
In a Hours Gen. Macarthur Ought
To Be At InSurgent Capital.
FILlPINOS PREPARING TO MAKE
THEfR LAST STAND.


Fighting Leads Amsricans To he.
Aevo Thts-A Spanish Merchantman
Captured BY tho Yorktown-It II
Supposed sho wss Carrying Sup.
plies To the Insurgents
Washington, March 2S.-There was o
lull today in theTeports from the scene
Of action north Of Manila, which foEA
time was rather mystifying to the war
department. authorities. Only one de,
spatch from General Otis was resolved
during she-dsy, dealing with the situs-
tion at the front apdthis related to yes.
terdsy afternoon. 1t was not until the
Associated Press'despatoh came, late In
the day telling thatsthe American forces
were resting bsyolh Marilao that General
Otis's silence on today's movements was
explained. After the arduous work Of o
three days fight under a fierce tropical
sun, through rice swamps and jungles,
it was expected by the authorities here
that Macarthur would conserve the
energies of his men by halt long enough
to rest and take supplies before the final
blow against Maloios, the insurgent
capital. The supply trains are well up
with the troops according to Otis's ref ort
today so that the rest permits full sup
plies of ANN unition and food to be dis
tributed. The American advance line is
large town of BuIacan. The exact dis
tance to Nalolos is uncertain owing
lack of information as to just where the
troops are resting but. at most the distance
cannot De more than ten or twelve miles,
on u direct line along the railway. At
the rate Of progress made in the last two
days, the. next'24 hours should bring the
American force we'll up to the insurgeno
capital, If indesd the assault on that
place is not begun by that time. The
officialsiare disposed to allow more time,
however, considering the natural OBJ
stacles of urfordakle rivers and burned
bridges, together with the successive lines
of rebsl intrechments. And, moreover. al
Mt Santiago, 1T is not doubted that the
Entertainments will become more
formidable as the city itself Is approached.
Leading war department officials referred
today to the desperation with which the
Insurgents wore fighting. 1t was taken
, as an indication that they had staked
every thing ON the outcome Of this fight.
and. losing 1t, that they would submit
rather than prolong q hopeless struggle,
In this view, the fierceness of the rebel
fighting was taken as an evidences that
"Once whipped they will stay whipped"
The navy department received nothing
from Admiral Dewey during the day ana
up to the close of office hours nothing
official had been received concerning the
achievement of the Yorktown in captur-
ing a Spanish merchantmen in the Gulf
of Lingayen.
While the despatch is silent asssto cnuse
for the capture. 1t is surmised that 1t was
dus TO her carrying contraband OF war.
This Is apparently torne out by the fact
that the gulf leads to the terminus Of the
railway which. in turn, leads to the.insur.
gent capital of MalolGs. 1t is further
borne out by the fact of the capture itself
which would hardly be attempted against
neutral merchant ship, unless for
serious reasons. Spain is now practical
| ly in the position of neutral, 50 that
her merchant ships have immunity from
capture unless there is good foundation
for belief that aid and comfort Is being
given to the enemy. The last information
| from Dewey as to the Yorktown came
yesterday when he stated that the gun
boat was cruising off Luzon.