The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-23
OTIS, HOPEFUL DISPATCHES.

OTIS HOPEFUL DISPATCHES --s
The dispatches from Gen. Oils, given out
by the war department. are of a hopeful
character. In fact, ever since he has been
In command in the Philippines he has en-
tertaiued the opinion. If his dispatches are
properly interpreted, that the Fiiipinos
would soon yield and recognize our author
Hy. In his dispatch received last Thurs
day, he stated that the situation had
greatly improved and that he could get
along with 5000 men.
It VIII be gratifying. indeed, if Gen. Otis
views of the situation prove to be correct,
but there are excellent reasons for doubt
ing that the outlook for early peace is as
promising as he seems to think 1t is. The
impression was given out several weeks
ago that as soon as MaIolos was taken
the resurrection would collapse and peace
would Immediately follow. That impress
sion was based on a wrong understanding
of the situation. The fighting has been as
fierce since the fall Of Malolos as ii was
before that event.
And the administration is now face TO
face with another serious problem. The
volunteers in the Philippines, numbering
two-thirds of all Of our soldiers there, in
sist upon being mustered out and trans
ported home. A few days ago we pub
South Dakota to the President charging
that the government was acting in bad
faith. in not mastering out the volunteers
in the Philippines, and demanding that the
regiment from that state be brought home
and mustered out at once The other day
the Thirteenth Minnesota Volunteers ca
bled to Gov. Lind, of their state, an en-
phatic demand to be transported home and
mustered out. Similar cablegrams may be
expected from other regiments.
All of the volunteers in the Philippines
enlisted for the war with Spain. That war
Is ended. and their contract with the gov
eminent is at an end. They have a right
TO be mustered out at once. We are not
sure that the government Is to blame for
being in. the FIX in which II finds itself
Congress should have acted on the army
bill more promptly than 1t did. Regular
troops should have been ready for trans
portation to the Philippines in time TO ar
rive there at the expiration of the terms
of enlistment of the volunteers.
II is probable that the administration and
Congress were confident that the insurrec-
ton would collapse by the time the end
of the war with Spain was announced The
army bin contains a provision for the re-
enlistment of men and officers of the vol
unteers in the Philippines for such
length of time as may be necessary to sun
ply their places with regulars. But the
insurrection has not collapsed and the
volunteers don't want to re-enlist. The,
government, therefore, was mistaken IN
both Of Its calculations. and that is why
il is just now in rather unfortunate fix.
1t is clear that the government will have
70 act promptly or else be open 10 the
charge of not keeping faith with the vol
unteers. No doubt the volunteers will do
their duty faithfully as long as they are
in the Philippines, but keeping them there
beyond the time for which they enlisted
and against their protest. will hurt the
administration and strengthen the already
strong feeling against the war. Fourteen
thousand regulars have been ordered TO
Manila to take the places of the sixteen
thousand volunteers there, but with the
limited means for Transporting troops at
the command of the government it will be
SIX months at least before the exchange
can be completed.
Unless the war is speedily terminated
the Republican party will find 1t a very
heavy load to carry. 1t is becoming more
unpopular every day. and If the volunteers
are compelled to serve very long beyond
the time for which they enlisted, its I'M
popularity will be so great that the Pres
ident win be forced to the conclusion that
he misunderstood public sentiment when
he instructed our commissioners at the
Paris conference to demand all Of the Phil
ippine Islands.