Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-09
IN THE PHILIPPINES
An Interesting Letter From Lieutenant in
the Regular Army.
Describes AEuinaIdO as a Mercenary-
Insurgents Get Comfort From
AtkinsOnians in This Country.
From the Wheeling wv. va.) Intelligencer

from the w HeeIng wv. Val Intellfgencer
Lieutenant Clyde Ford of this city, as
sstant surgeon of the 18th United States
Regulars writes to his father under date
of August IS, from Callulet seven miles
north Of San Fernando in part. as follows:
The broad and deep philosophy of slang
is exhibited quite forciby in local word
that is as apt and descriptive as our own
POLITICALLY suggestive "rubberneck." For
instance, the soldier out here does not
march-he has forgotten the verb to march.
but uses in it's stead the verb ito hike"
present hike, past liked, past participle
hiked.
There can be no doubt but new word Is
needed in the English language to express
the action of getting through the soft, sue
culent rice fields and over the little one
foot high diEeS, or rice padules, through
cane fields, through swamps and bam-
boo thickets. So the American soldier
hikes over the paddles and through the
rice fields.
The Rainy Season.
The rainy season far feared and
much dreaded Is nothing more than a bug
aboo." What there is of the rainy season
would be the worst at the present time. 1t
is said to begin May 1 and last to December
1. This time is in the middle of that period
so it must present ONE marked character
lstics. There was rain for four or live days
before this movement began, and, although
1t was rather tough hiking it is we'll
within the range OF military possibility.
And with railroad line with towns every
few miles as a theater of operation, the
rainy season is good as the dry one.
There IS not the heat that is met with in
the dry season, for II vas SO hot last spring.
as reliable officer told me, that he saw
the buttons of the soldiers blouses melt
ana run out of shape. Truly they Were
rubber buttons, but it takes quite a number
OF caiOrifc units to melt rubber.
IL 1t does rain and the soldiers get wet,
the temperature of the atmosphere, as a
rule, is SO warm that he suffers only COM
pafatlNely slight inconvenience. The in
surgentS do not expect US to operate dur
ing the rainy season, and are not prepared
Tor an aggressive campaign at the present
time.
Let me tell you the truth about the GEN
eral situation here, and only the truth
that know to be the truth 1t is here like
1t was in Cuba, almost impossible to get
information from statistical sources for
the Spaniard was not a statistician. He
was great record maker; a great COM
piler of figures. and he spoiled q great deal
of paper in executing even the simplest
processes. but all the reliable Information
or correct figures he collected he kept for
individual use, and preferred to have the
public miSinformed. Why, the best mill
tary maps left by the Spaniards do not
even show accurately the towns on the
railroads running from Manila to Dagupin.
The observation Of one individual through
out one season, so far as weather is con-
te-IHeu, Cdiiiiol be given DIS compete ana
final for all seasons. A general officer late
ly returned from LuZOn gives in a popular
journal of July a positive and final de-
scription Of che rainy season. 1 referred
the account to a ranking officer who has
been here and in the field since February
of this year and he boldly stated that any
body who set UP that account as a de-
scription of this season was badly mis-
taken.
Must Crush the Rebellion.
I believe fully in the wisdom and the
policy Of crushing the rebellion on these
islands. Whatever may. have been the orig
inal design, the following consequences that
brought us up to the consideration of the
question of American sovereignty in the
Philippines need not be discussed here
There is but one thing to do now, and that
is to continue the war until the islands
are subjugated to American sovereignty. l
believe, too, that 1t is something of a
white mans BURDEN and that part of
the cost Of this war will be a debt to
civilization. war need not be prosecuted
with mercileSS vengeance and no quarter,
for determination, but war is war and by
widely known and experienced authority
war is hell. A humanitarian war is to
me difficult conception. 1t must certain
ly be something like a cold fire or hot ice.
If such a war is to be prosecuted, why not
arm our soldiers with soft rubber clubs,
and convert our artillery into large and
powerful atomiZers for the projection of
anaesthenizing sponges. so that the enemy
might be painleSsly overcome and after
ward reSuscitated, instead of being killed.
The reports go back to the states that
tell of the prosperous condition of shipping
and trade in the islands, and everybody is
rejoiced to have that evidence of the really
little difficulty there seems to be over here.
The insurgents have a government and are
levying blackmail under the name of col
lectinS taxes, almost to the entire value of
property in all the northern part of the
island. They control most of the railroad
and rolling stock; they have twenty-seven
locomotives and we have three or four.
They have free commerce with the world
through a half dozen good ports to the
north. 1t seems almost impossible to be-
leve, but l know surely that within the
last week or two four vessels have cleared
from Manila with correct and approved
manifests, with clearance papers signed by
the captain of the port and they carried
each about SG0O,00O of Mexican and general
merchandise, sailed INTO ports where the
inSurgent government Is collecting port
fees, etc. In Manila the United States gov
eminent is paying, through attorneys. large
rentals to owners of buildings who are
known to be officers in the insurgent army
The coast of the island has never been
protected with any effect, and only for a
short time with any attempt.
Stories Circulated In the Island.
Communication with Hong Kong takes
only week. The news of the world Is to
be had in Hong Kong. All news from the
american army mere gets around the world
and into the insurgent country. 1 had in
my possession the other day a copy of La
Independence, an insurgent publication, of
the date of April 80, 1899, San Fernando,
before the American forces entered, in
which there was printed a cable from Lon
don, dated March 5, reading about as fol-
lows:
"It is known with some concern that Pres
ident Mckinley is quite i'll. There is no
longer any attempt to conceal the fact that
his illness is caused largely by his concern
in the disturbed affairs in the Philippines"
There Is in the possession of the assist
ant adjutant general Of the 1st Brigade Of
the I'd Division piece of the same news
paper Of another date that contains a re-
port Of a speech made by Mr.. Bryan Of Ne
braska, in which the policy of the adminis-
tration in holding the Philippines is strong
ly denounced.
The Filipinos are then assured that Mr..
Bryan will soon be President. and that
freedom Of the people will be secured. De-
auctions as to what Influence the politics Of
the United States are having on the Fill
pino situation can readily be made. The
situation here furnishes little material for
him who is inclined to deliver himself of
eloquent apostrophies on the outrases the
American army Is committing on the sacred
person of Liberty" The success of the in
surrection does not promise liberty to the