The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-02
WAR SEcRETARY's REPORT.
OPERATIONS OF THE ARMY
BROUGHT DOWN TO DATE.

Der of Men in Each of the Several
IsInnds-EEeaIth and Comfort OF the
Men-TOtnl CasnaIties of the Phil
ippine Campaign.
Washington, Dec. 1.-The report of the
Secretary OF War, made public to-day, is
brought down TO date, strictly, so that
some of the latest dispatches from Gen.
Otis appear in It. 1t appears from The
report that the Philippine Instruction is
on its last legs, il not indeed practically
broken up. Secretary Root says:
"On the 24th of November, Gen. OTIS was
able to telegraph to the department as fol-
lows: Claim to government by insurgents
can be made no longer under any fiction.
Its Treasurer. Secretary of the Interior,
and President Of Congress in our hands;
Its President and remaining cabinet OIL
GERS in hiking evidently in different CEN
trail Luzon provinces; its generals ana
troops in small bands scattered through
these provinces, acting as banditL or dis
persed, playing the role of amigos" with
arms concealed Since that time our
troops have been actively pursuing the ny
ing and scattered bands of Insurgents, fur
Their dispensing them. making many pris-
oners, and releasing many Spanish prison.
ers who had been in the Insurgents
hands"
As to how the troops found conditions
outside of Manila, and in the country DOM
mated by natives, the report says 1T is
gratifying to know that as our troops sot
away from the immediate vicinity Of Ma
Mia they found the natives of the country
exceedingly friendly, and both men and
animals were able to live upon the coun-
try and for considerable periods leave
their supply trains behind This was
doubtless due in some measure TO the fact
that the Pampangos, who inhabit the
provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac, and
the Pangasinanes, who inhabit Pangasi-
nan, as well as the more northerly tribes,
are unfriendly to the Tagalogs, and had
simply submitted to the military domina-
ton of that tribe, from which they were
glad to be relieved. This Is en-
phasized by report from Gen.
liged to guard the mother and infant son
Of Aguinaldo to prevent the natives of
Pampanga from killing them"
The good results following American oc-
cupation are thus noted: wherever the
permanent occupation of our troops has
extended in the Philippine Islands civil
law mas bNtll liluieIldltty put III lOIte.
The courts have been organized and the
most learne5 and competent native law
yers have Been appoin ted to preside over
them. A system of education has been in
troduced and numerous schools have been
established. Il is believed that in the city
of Manila a greater number of good
schools affording better facilities for pri-
mary instruction, exist to-day than al any
previous time in the history of the city"
1t is stated that the forces now in the
Philippines consists of 30,57S men and 9O5
officers, with new enlstments of 4357
officers and men on the way to the Philip
pines or just arrived there. 1t appears
thus that the American Philippine army
will amount to little more than $500
officers and men. a{a sH
Operations in Cuba!w ern
The report says with respect to Cuba:
"Since the Spanish evacuation there have
been no strictly military operations, and
the officers of the army in Cuba have been
largely occupied in conducting, under the
direction of the military governor and the
department commanders a general civil
administra ton for which no other govern
mental machinery existed, and in aiding
| the existing municipal governments in the
performance of their duties. The first and
imperative duties of the army in the con-
dition of social disorganization which ex-
| listed were the maintenance of order the
| immediate relief of prevailing dis
| iress among the starving reconcen-
| trados, the sanitation of the towns, which
| had been left in a filthy condition, and in
which none of the precautions against dis
| ease known to modern sanitary science
| had ever been adopted and the promotion
| OF a return to peaceful industry on the
| part of the people whose homes and farms
| had been by force abandoned and laid
| waste In all these respects satisfactory
| progress has been made.* The
| deaths from all causes in Havana during
the first few months after our occupation
| were numerous, owing to the great num-
| Der of sick and dying who were there at
! the time OF the Spanish evacuation. The
rate has been steadily decreased until in
| September it was brought down to the an
| nual rate of q per thousand, and In Octo-
| Der to 26.6 per thousand. Similar condi-
| tons existing at Santiago were treated in
| a similar manner and with great thorough
| ness and effectiveness, and an outbreak
| of yellow fever at that point was speedily
! controlled and overcome. During the six
| months ending June 30 1899, we expended
| from the insular revenues 81, 712,014.20 for
/ sanitation, $293, LIZ for charities and hos
| pitfalls, and S944.03 for aid to the desti-
| tute.
Operations in Porto Rico.
| OF Porto Rico the report says: THE
troops in Porto Rico at the end OF Novem-
enlisted men. There are now IN the depart
| ment 81 officers and $3.50 enlisted men. all
Of the regular army, except 100 men of the
| Porto Rican battalion. The year has been
| devoted to administering and improving
| the civil government of the island ana in
structlng the people in the rudiments of
seTf- govern ment, and this has been done
| at every step in conference W tn the lead
ing citizens Of the island, and upon lines
| agreed upon between tn m and The mill
| tary governor. At. the time of
| change of sovereignty the island was in
| a condition of great dieoreer. and for a
| considerable period bandits collected I'm the
| mountains and commit depre da lions
| and aintained themselves by robbing the
| peaceful inhabitants. These have been dis
persed and punished, and order has been
! thoroughly restored.
Financial Administration.
1.-THE revenues of Cuba, Porto Rico and
| the Philippines have been collected and
4 disbursed under the direction Of officers
| of the army. The collection and dis