The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-05
a@Essss -53tg
ANACONDA news.
viewed BY LAMP LIGHT
Manila Showed by Captain
Wells Stereopticon.
VIVID SCENES OF BATTLE
Depicted by the Ex-Volunteer Officer
and Newspaper Man-Tells How
Otis Has Blundered and
Our Troops Suffered.

Last night at the Margaret Captain
Harry L. Wells of the I'd Oregon vol
Eunteers spoke to an appreciative audi
aappines and the Insurrection,'
and illustrated his talk with
IA large number of exceptionally
fine stereopticon views, covering the
entire range of the subject. These il
Illuminated views included pictures of
Manila, the people, their customs and
dwellings and many scenes of army
and campaign life Especially fine were
ia number Of actual battle scenes, pho
.tographs of the firing line in battle
and Of men charging Filipino intrench-
ments. So vividly did these pictures
bring the scenes before the eye that it
scarcely needed the clear and enter
haining rrative of the lecturer to
make them understood
No one could listen to the quiet.
sorceful words Of the speaker, deliv-
cred in an easy, conversational style
that was extremely pleasing, without
Being impressed by the fact that he
was listening to one who knew from
Ibis personal experience all that he
twas saying. The impression was that
of absolute reliability and truthfulness.
Apparently Captain Wells has not set
lo1t to preach the gospel of expansion
or non-expansion. He simply relates
the facts of his own observation and
illustrates them with the truthful work
tof the camera, and leaves his listeners
10 draw their own conclusions from
What they see and hear.
Feeble Warriors, They.
One gathers the impression from
what Captain Wells says that the Fill
spinos are but sorry warriors, judged
by the American standard. They new
ler stood up sturdily against our ad-
Nancing lines, always fought from COW
Ser and invariably ran before our men
got close enough to come into per-
sonal collision with them. Fighting
concealed and sheltered enemy, while
themselves compelled to advance un-
sder a heavy fire across open and I'M
sheltered spaces. was the kind OF
work our volunteers had to perform:
land such work certainly calls for the
highest form of courage and devotion
Ito duty 1t is small wonder, then,
THAT our boys RECEIVED such high
praise from the various generals who
commanded then.N{# p
The speaker paid special attention to
the poor equipment of the volunteers,
both in field transportation and IN
arms. He said that the old Spring
field supplied them was a far inferior
weapon 10 Inc ME NhduSsI ludSdZlie
rifle the majority of the Filipinos car
ried the former having a range of
only half the distance. This enabled
the enemy to resort to long range fight
ing, thus placing our soldiers at
serious disadvantage. 1 The enemy also
had the best quality of German smoke
less powder, while our men used the
old black powder cartridges the gov
eminent had been. accommodating for
fully a quarter of 1aSeentury. Captain
Wells seems to hold the commanding
general in the Philippines responsible
fer this, since" 1t might have been
changed if he had made the demand.
He said:
Regular troops were stationed in
and around Manila, with Krag-Jorgen-
sen magazine rifles and smokeless am
munition and with mule teams for
transportation, while the volunteers
were out at the front fighting with old
Springfields and black powder and
with buffalo carts for transportation.
He also criticised the policy that had
been pursued of capturing towns and
leaving them again to the reoccupa-
tion Of the insurrectos, saying that it's
only effect was to strengthen the in
surrecton by leading the natives to
believe that we were not strong
enough to hold the country.
Charges Are Libels.
The lecturer spoke of the care of the
Filipino wounded by our army, ano
said that charges of cruelty to them
were unfounded. He denounced them
as IAN unpa triotic libel upon the sol