The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-02-24
MOVE TROOPS
Administration Decides to Send
Additional Rcinforcements to
General Otis.
Sixth and Ninth Infantry to
Sail From San Francisco in
March.
Aggressive Campaign a Matter
OF Necessity and Not of
Choice.
Checking Of q. Incendiarism
Hard Problem for Manila
Authorities.

I"ithAeht mas arranged to dispatch
further reinforcements to General Otis
at Manila. The regiments selected are
the Ninth infantry. now at New York,
and the Sixth infantry at San Antonio.
lex. Both these regiments will 90 bv
way OF San Francisco. 1t is expected
that the transports taking them will be
able to leave by March II.
BY that date General OTIS will have
received all the reinforcements now
afloat and bound for Manila. save those
on the Sheridan. which sailed from New
York last Sunday. This will give him
5000 more troops. made up of the flower
of the United States army, regulars
tried IN Indian service and most of them
Injured to the Cuban climate in its worst
aspects. having participated in the
campaigns there during the last wet
season.
A Matter Of Necessity.
Every report that comes to the war
department goes to convince the Of
ficials that an offensive campaign must
he Immediately assumed in the Philip
pines. This is no longer "a matter of
choice. but OF necessity. against which
the officials say sentimental considera-
tions cannot stand. In their opinion.
the lives and health of American troops
now in the neighborhood of Manila de-
pend upon the initiation Of such IA cam
paign. General Otis report of the big
fire in Manila. while agreeing closely
with the press reports. makes mention
of rather formidable demonstration by
the insurgents near Caloocan. the scene
Of some of the heaviest fighting succeed.
ing the first engagement with the insur.
gents OH the l5. This is taken as AT
indication that the rebels have not We
been thoroughly impressed with tine
strength of the American arms. A dis
quieting feature noted in the press re
ports is the presence of small bodies OF
armed insurgents within the American
outposts. possibly an evidence that oul
lines are too far extended and too thin
around Manila. 1t is realized that i
will be necessary to sweep the countr,
clear Of all hostile elements The tasl
will be difficult because Of the resem
blance Of the Filipinos to one another
which would made it hard to distin
guish between a non-combatant and al
out-and-out rebel. Sometimes there il
no such distinction. the one resolvin.
into the other at short notice. for it i
patent now that the Filipinos cannot b,
counted upon to observe any of the rules
| Of war. and must be fought on the sam,
basis as the Indians.
4 Serious Problem.
A most serious problem confront,
| General Otis in the protection Of Manil;
| and the suburban towns from fire, no
| only because of the treacherous charac
ter of the rebel Filipinos, but also be
cause that outside Of the business estab
lishments the houses are built of tn
| flimsiest bamboo. hung with mattin!
screens. Even the floors are made o
strips of bamboo. separated so as t
| allow the free circulation of air. 1t
within the power of almost any perso1
to set fire to these houses from withou
or within in few seconds. and rs the.
are closely built. the ravages of singh
fire in a quarter SO closely con
structed might easily reach the hal
million dollar point mentioned b
| General Otis in his dispatch. Th
foreign quarter is Of better construe
| ton, but still includes many Of tn
lirht bamboo houses which the olde
residents seem to find cooler than house
| of more solid construction. The walle
town, which the insurgents threaten
burn tonight is said to be of substantis
construction, and probably is more ea'
ily defended against such an atteml
than any other section Of the town. Tn
officials say that if the rebels continu
this sort Of tactics in Manila, disregard
inp the rules of war. and jeoparding tn
| lives OF women and children. and TO
eicners who are not involved in the WA
General Otis will be under the nece
sity Of making house-to-house inspe'
tion and summarily disposing OF a
suspicious characters.
/
Packing House Fire.
CHICAGO, Feb. 24.-During fir
| ,,,;cL fnr two honrs threatened to al