The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-08-18
BUT is A SISSY" OF THE WORST
TYPE.
Corporal Dahlstrom a Honolulu Mem
Der of the Oregon Regiment, Talks of
the Filipino Campaign.

A. Dahstrom of Honolulu, who was a
corporal of the oregon regiment in Ma
Mia, has not a single kind word for his
late superior officers. He says Otis is
not an old woman but a sissy" The
enlisted men have been for several
months in practically open revolt
against the chief, they having lost all
confidence in him.
The Honolulu man says the volunteer
officers were failures in the field. He
attributes as much of the dilly- -dallyipg
to them as to General Otis. Most of the
Oregon officers were from the country
says Dahlstrom, and before the war
We're cheap clerks or somthing of that
sort. Army pay was a big thing to
them, and they were anxious to remain
in the field as long as possible.
why nearly every officer in the regi-
ment asked to be retained in the vol
unteer regiments being formed at Ma
Mia. They did not want to be muster
ed out; oh no. they had too good a
thing there
What simply disgusted the men was
the apparent uncertainty of the officers
in the conduct of the campaign. As
soon as we would take town the order
would come to fall back. Next day We
would be ordered forward to take the
same town again. If the idea was to
tire the Filipinos out or to kill them all
off in these frequent sallies, it was a
mistaken one, for killing a few hundred
of them did not hurt them a particle.
"Aguinaldo and his entire force could
| have been captured and the war put to
an end at Malabon last March. Some
! day the men in the regiments will tell
| this story. At the time of which | am
| speaking the rebel leader was in a trap
with but one way out. Every man in
| the army saw it. The campaign plan
! should have been to close this gap and
| have the navy shell the rebels out of
| Malabon. They would have been sur
| rounded and cut to pieces or captured
| by us
! What did General Otis do? He left
| the big road out of Malabon open and
kept his troops back until Aguinaldo
| had been shelled out by the ships and
| had escaped in the direction of Malolos
| Then we were ordered forward to pitch
| into the rear guard. This was the first
big blunder, if such it was, of the com
mander and all the men noticed and
| talked of it.
What the men in the Philippines
wanted was orders to go ahead. We
| knew absolutely what was in front o1
US. We knew the character of fighter
the Filipino was and knew We woulC
! run right over him rough shOd. To SEE
our comrades falling one by one every
day and not being allowed to punist
them was some thing that enraged the
volunteers almost beyond endurance.
The war could be ended in a week
If Otis will just leave the campaign il
the hands of the brigadier generals fol
seven days, Aguinaldo would be pris
oner and you would not be able to fine
the pieces of his army with telescope
This talk of not having enough men il
bOSh. There are too many men OF
LuzOn now-mOre than are needed.
do you know after looking at tht
matter from every side and thinking i
over after being mustered out | am in
clined to believe there is little dodge
in Otis campaign to discredit the vol
unteer army? When the regulars tax
the field they will crush AguinaldO. Yol
will see that. Otis will tell them to e.
ahead. They will go, as we would haV
done. The assumption will then be tina
the volunteers were no good, We're no
, able to handle the situation, and it too
the regulars to do the thing up brown
Otis is a regular army officer and is JUS
small enough to feel jealous of volun
teerS.'
DahlstrOm will rest a few days an
will then start to work in Honolulu. H
has several good business offers unde
consideration.