The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-22
Our Warships VIII Bring the Insurrec-
fiot, In En-

Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Washington, Oct. 1S.-The naval Of
ficer from the Philippines was not at
all averse to criticising the conduct of
affairs in that distant field of con-
tention. provided he had the assurance
that no harm should befall him
through the disclosure of the critics
identity to the department. Naval OF
ficers have learned to be discreet since
one of their number spoke piece
at a convivial gathering and called
down the wrath of the German god
on his head. After receiving the as"
surance that wild horses could not
drag from the recipient of his conf
dences the identity of the speaker, the
naval officer proceeded to discuss
Philippine affairs with decisiveness
born of an intimate practical acquaint-
ance with the subject.
1.-The navy will end the war;" said he,
eff the plan of action laid down by Ad-
m!ral Dewey in his audiences witt, the
administra ton are carefully carried
out. The last flicker of insurrection
would have been stamped out long ago
had the work of the army been supple
mented by naval force strong enough
to guard against the traitorous supply
ing of arms and ammunition to Aguin-
aldo. The navy has lone wonders in
guarding the coast, but it has been I'M
entire sea-board, and the agents of the
insurgent army have been as quick
and alert in their movements as so
many wasps. While we watched one
point an expedition would be landing
at another Everything in this direc-
ton was done by small, quick craft
that dashed into a point near to the in
surgents. landed their supplies in the
twinkling of an eye and were off before
any news could reach the fleet.
THE insurgents have got this thing
down to a science All the time our
boys are pounding away at them, driv-
ing oam from pillar to post, capturing
obs, etc guns and q few modern Weap-
ons and ammunition, the Filipinos,
who are the deepest demons alive, are
renewing their stores from their fill
! clustering friends. receiving new sup
| plies of cartridges, food medicine and
| clothing, while swapping their fingers
| at the efforts of the Americans to
| break them in battle, or starve them by
| Selling their stores.
1T is a disgrace certainly that the
war has been allowed to drag along
| all this time, but the army officers are
| not to blame. The insurgents were
attacked from the wrong side, that is
all. Now the administration has been
made to see at last that investment is
safer, easier, and surer than attack.
|
| by swift. light craft that would form
a Gordon through which the friends of
| the Filipinos could not penetrate, the
insurgent army would soon become dis
| integrated. Cut off from these supplies,
the insurgents could hold together only
as long as the cartridges lasted, and
| then the survivors would creep away
to their homes and the island settle
| down to peaceful industry again.
with the swift cruiser Brooklyn. the
cruiser New Orleans, the gunboat
Nashville and the gunboat Marietta
the fleet under Admiral Watson in the
| Philippines would be amply able tc
cope with the filibusters, but it is wei
that other boats are to be sent besides
| these vessels to make assurance doub-
| ly sure. With those big and little war
ships at his disposal, Admiral Watson
will be able to organize a searchlight
and steam launch system of patro
that will scoop up every filibusterine
| expedition and leave Aguinaldo with 6
lot of cartridgeless. starving soldiers
who must throw away their useless
! arms and submit, or prove an easy
mark for the United States troops.
| 1T has been most strange to us who
have been out in the Philippines tina
this simple. swift and infallible solu
ton of the insurrectionary problem ha:
not been tried long ago. To be very
candid, it has been the opinion of tn,
naval officers that the army men want
ed the glory of putting down the insur
rectiOn and We're averse to the war
ships gathering in any more laurels a
Luzon. If they had this idea tn
American people ought to be convince'
of the futility of the army's efforts t.
kill the insurrecton by their presen
methods. and the administration shoul
quickly cut the gordon knot by com
polling a cooperation between arm
and navy to the end that Aguinaldo b
crushed out of hand. I predict tina
the suppression of the miserable mo-
of so-called Filipino soldiers will be
gin with the arrival of our additiona
fleet of warships in the Asiati
waters
And this opinion. it may be added
is shared by most of the naval officer
of Admiral Dewey's staff with whor
the writer conversed They acknowl
edged that army men would refuse
admit it, but the prediction quote
holds good and will soon be realized O
disproven. GEORGE LEM.
| A Foot Race.