The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-29
An Expert Opinion.

In an article written for Frank Les
lies Popular Monthly for April Major
General Wesley Merritt, the first Amer
lean governor general of the Philip
pines offers a number of expert opin-
ions bearing on the future of our flag
in that archipelago which have especial
interest and timeliness in view of the
fighting now in progress en- the island
of LuzOn General Merritt wrote be-
fore the last aggressive movement by
General Otis had been begun, but his
observations are not weakened by it.
He thinks that for Il time 10000
troops, or about the number now sub
jeCt to Otis orders, will be needed in
the Philippines, but is confident that
as soon as garrisons are well-estab-
lished on the principal islands and rudi-
mentary local government established
native troops to the number of 10000
can be enlisted in place of an equal
number of Americans SO that on a
normal basis 900 American troops
| of occupation will suffice. OF course
the native troops would have to be
commanded by American officers and
| used chiefly Cor interior police work in
small detachments.
The question of the effects of the
South Sea tropical climate upon Ameri-
can soldiers fresh from our temperate
| or wintry zones he regards as impor-
| tant but not necessarily alarming, add
| ing: My own observation in the Phil
| ippines was, that so long as our men
| took care of themselves and followed
| the instructions given them in regard
to clothing, food and exposure to the
| monday sun or the night air, they wers
| remarkably healthy. We had very
| little sickness. There are no epidemic
| fevers-such as yellow fever-in Manila,
| and the climate is cooler than that of
! Hong Kong or the adjacent portions of
| China. Personally, l had not a days
| sickness and everybody l knew who
took care of himself got along very well
| Such is conspiCuouSly the case with Ad-
miral Dewey, and on his fleet; sick men
! there are almost as scarce a. killed or
wounded. OF course, in the navy they
|
and carrying their houses with them.
! The army is necessarily more exposed.
For two weeks General Greene and his
brigade were in the trenches up to their
| middies in water the greater part OF
the time-that is, While on picket duty.
But to offset these hardshps, our troops
in the Philippines We're well supplied.
| I
sary supplies; and moreover, by meanS
of the bamboo which grows in great
profusion in that country, the men
made themselves cots, raised above the
| Grourd--an important precaution in
sisted upon by the doctors-and in that
way escaped much discomfort and sick
ness. After the fall of Manila. when
the reaction had set in, there was
rather lower average of hcalth-per-
haps the men became less careful Of
themselves Yet while l was in Ma
nila-up 10 September-there was very
little sickness--not a greater percentage
than would be found among the same
number of men anywhere"
Manila, in General Merritts opinion
is a desirable residence city. Its water
supply is excellent and it has great
many modern conveniences which are
agreeable surprises to the average
American visiting it for the first time
The natives, ne thinks, We're misled into
believing that the Americans wer,
towards. They are a race that require
to be impressed by force, after which
they are tractable, In their way they
are industrious and coura geOus and ar
good soldiers in the rough, The ma
tives in revolt are largely recruited
from the ignorant middle end lowe
classes; the better educated natives n,
thinks are favorable to American con
? troll because they recognize the unfit
! ness Of their own people for unaidet
and unrestrained government. I'll
, brief" says General Merritt, "fron
what experience and knowledge I have
! ana inclined to be as optimistic as eve
regarding our flag in the Philippine
70 an opinion founded on personal expe
? rience when given by a man Of char
p acter and special skill, is entitled L
| weight,
Mr. CrOkar's Jaffarsonio,, dinuar ha,