Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-06
NEWS OF MANILA
Montana Boys Write to Friends
In Butte
OF THE SITUATION THERE
1t is Believed the Montana Men Did
Not Actively Participate in
the Skirmist.
OF THE SITUATION THERE

The startling news of the brush" be-
tween the A mericans and Fflipinos near
Manila, which was first given to the
public of 81 tie in an extra published by
the Inter Mountain yesterday afternoon,
was anything but pleasant reading to
the members of the First Montana volun-
teers who had returned home; not but
that they gloried in the success of the
Americans, but because they were una
bic to participate in the engagement.
Lieutenant Calkins and Lieutenant
PaXson We're the most affected of the lot.
When they left the Philippines they
supposed that the fighting was over and
that the insurgents would peacefully sub
nit to the inevitable. Not relishing the
idea of doing garrison duty, they re-
turned HON e. Lieutenant PaXson said
today that his slumber was disturbed
last night. In his dreams he imagined
himself again wading in mud knee deep
to get a shot at the natives. Lieutenant
Calkins was similarly affected IN his sleep
and cursed the luck that doomed him to
a life Of inactivity during his stay in the
Philippines.
Both ex-oficers We're of the opinion,
however, tina the war with the insur-
gents would be of short duration. They
argued that the Americans We're better
equipped than the insurgents, although
the latter are supplied with MauSer rifles.
The Filipinos will probably carry on a
guerilla warfare, and in this way may
prolong the struggle, but with the land
and naval forces Of the Americans in CO.
operation they cannot hold out long.
Lieutenant Calkins believes, from the
published reports, that the Montana boys
We're not actively engaged in the skirmish
and that there were no casualties in that
regiment.
Yesterday he received a letter from
Homer e. Vroom, formerly yard foreman
at the Parrot smelter, Who is now doing
duty with the First Montana, u. S. ", in
Company 3. The letter is dated Decem-
Der "a. MIR. Vroom hopes to be able to
do a little prospecting on the islands be-
fore returning to Butte. Colonel kessler's
popularity among the soldier boys, he
says, is growing daily. The colonel says
nothing but saws wood and pays no at
@tention whatever to his critics. Mr..
Vroom also refers to the letter written by
Major Byron H. Cook to some friends in
California. This letter was published in
a San Francisco paper. In one of the
paragraphs of the letter he likened some
of the boys in the Montana regiment to
a lot of 'lDve sick school girls when
l1ey Idlleu 10 get lelleiS from nome.
While there was nothing in the letter
that reflected seriously on the Montana
boys, the soldier boys did not relish the
remarks, and the major was made the
butt of much joshing.
Accompany ing the letter from Vroom
was a copy of the newspaper published
at MANILA The New ORIENT 1t is pub
lished by the members of the Montana
regiment. e. E. Wilson, corporal of Com
pany D., a theosophist and lecturer, is
editor; Sergt. r. +. Wells of Company
E is associate editor, and Corporal "Chet'
Smith of Butte is business manager. A
portion of the leading editorial is here re-
produced:
There are a large number of the Fill
pinos bent upon the suicidal policy of
driving the Americans into the sea, and
this in the face Of what America is offer
ing. They have struggled for 400 years
for the priceless boon of liberty-the only
treasure worth ~guarding-and now Amer
lea comes with a gift, offering all the peo-
pie the highest form Of liberty the world
has ever known. Independence has a
meaning in America which is not found
in any other country. 1t has a real sig
niicance. The gift which America is hold
ing toward the Filipinos is one of the most
priceless Jewels in the crown of liberty.
1t is unsullied, spotless. What more could
they obtain?
That they do not accept is evidence of
puerility. They have been tickled by q
modicum of success and bloated vanity
is the result. They imagine with the Gre
dulity of children that if they make a
fearful noise the Americans will take
fight, precipitously leaving the deniro be-
hind them. The experiment of self-gov-
eminent is one which nations usually dc
not survive successfully. The democracy
of our South American republics is of a
questionable character. We doubt if the
Filipinos, with their meager knowledge of
government, could even make a success
full imitation of one of these. Thus there
is a moral responsibility devolving upon
the United States which cannot be avoid
ed. They must have a good government,
and since they have neither experience or
knowledge in that line America must give
it to them. But the Filipinos have caught
up the spirl of the Monroe doctrine n
cry "Filipira as para Filipinos.' This is a
laudable doctrine, but within 48 hours
after American evacuation Germany
would have three or four missionaries
killed and then demand four or five ISL
ands in compensation for every mission
airy killed. This would twist the Brit
ish lion tail and excite the risibilities of
the French. Within 72 hours afterward it
would be bleeding Filipinos." Each ISL
ands would have been dismembered and
and would have been dismembered and