The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-23

miles railway in his front; number of Of
fcers of rank have deserted Luna; lew
have entered Manila for protection In
Pampagna and BulIcan inhabitants re
turning TO homes only fear inSurgent
troops. south OF Manila inSurgept dlsln-
IcgraIiCr progressing. though large force
still sintained; conditions improving
daily; send battalion troops and gunboat
TO Negroes tomorrow 10 allaY excitement
in southern portion Of island and west
coast Of Cebu. Have denied request OF
Agulnaldo'S commissioners for armlStlCe
OTIS.
While it is not so affirmed at the de-
partment, the present movement is
generally believed to mark the end Of
the active campaign before the wet
weather sets in. Macarthur is at San
Fernando, south of Arayat, where
kobbe and LaWtOn are now Joined.
This is the point that has previously
been spoken OF as a possible summer
base for the American northern out
posts. From Bacolor. on the railroad,
there is a highway running northeast
through San Fernando, Mexico, Santa
Ana and on to Arayat. on the river.
The dispatch says that the American
army viii occupy the cities south and
west. There is no present talk of an
other northern movement This would
leave a triangle between the railroad
and the river that could be easily held
and protected by the United States
troops during the wet season, even
though the insurgents were in much
greater force than they are reported
and though they were inclined to be ag-
gressive, which the reports indicate
they are not.
Lawton's turning in his march TO the
north and proceeding down the Rio
Grande is the natural result of his de
sire to get behind the insurgents at San
Isidro and crush them at a blow ac-
cording to programme.
In the movement north Lawton trav-
eled in line east Of the Rio Grande
and parallel to it. His march was
through a rough and little travelled
country toward the foot of the noun
tain ranges. 1t was a hard journey and
the insurgents slipped away before they
could be hemmed in between LaWtOn
and kobbe and MacArthur's armies.
The reported dissolution of the insur-
gent forces, which are said to be in bad
condition at Tarlae, and the statement
in General Otis dispatch that he had
again denied Aguinaldo's request for an
armistice, are taken TO indicate that
there is some likelihood that the COM
missions offer of form of government
may be speedily accepted. That is
matter, however, on which there is no
official information to speculate.
No particular Importance is attached
to the statement that the Filipinos are
threatening trouble in the south. The
American line in this direction is under
command of General Ovenshine and
stretches across a narrow neck of land
a few miles south of Manila between
the seacoast and Laguna de Bal. 1t
is a position which the Filipinos could
not force under any conceivable' con-
ditiOn, while the tin clad fleet of the
lagoon and the warships off the coast
would be able TO make the narrow
cfr Oh & hot =,
very unhealthy resort for any large
force of insurgents.
The written proposition submitted to
the FilipinOs to-day at Manila by the
American commission was framed in
Washington by Secretary Hay. The
only error in the printed copy of its
contents is the omission of the qualif-
cation principle" in the statement of
the judges to be appointed by the
President. 1t is the intention to give
the tilipinos, just as the President has
promised, as large measure of self
government as they seem able to eX-
ercise with safety to themselves and
due regard to the welfare of other ma
lions. Therefore. it is proposed to al
low them to choose their own inferior
judicial officials to begin with and per-
haps the principle may be extended if
il works well in the lower grades.
President Schurman did not report to
Secretary Hay, hence it is assumed
that the conference up to this point has
not yet been productive of results as
to warrant a statement.