Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-11

the American soldier. and harder, far
harder, to penetrate than stone wall
The first illustration shows the outside
of one of these intrenchments, the sec
ond the inside of the same. This woven
wall is pierced with cunningly con-
structed loopholes, Just large enough
for the native shooter to look through
md pick off with his Mauser the Amer
ican soldiers one after another as they
approach. Some of these native in
trenchments are such marvels of skill
and adaptability 10 the use for which
they were intended that American mill
tary engineers have not hesitated TO
say they would be absolutely impossible
to take, with well conditioned army
of white men behind them, instead of
horde of irresolute Malays.
The cunning of the wild man is shown
as we'll in some of these defenses- Here
and there are false intrenchments, look
ing from the outside like formidable
works, but inside as hollow as the soul
of the man who lives for himself alone.
At Malolos, after the natives had fed
therefrom, a remarkable specimen of
this kind of humbug breastwork was
found
But no brown man, or red man, or
black or yellow, can stand against the
white man in this cycle of the worlds
history. l never was so entirely per-
suaded of that as l have been since
spending these months in the orient
What has been we know not Of what
is to be we know still less. But this
much is certain: This is the white
mans age and the white mans hour.
May he use it justly and we'll
Neither is courage of spurtish sort
lacking to the Filipinos They fight
desperately for little while, then are
seized with panic and run They always
take with them on their retreats, If
possible, the few Spanish prisoners who
still remain in their hands. These they
make slaves of and force them to do
their menial work, thus turning the
tables on the naughty Spaniard with
vengeance. When recently Aguinaldo
was asked by petition of foreign mer-
chants in Manila to release Queen Chris
tina S subjects who We're still prisoners
in his camp, he replied that he kissed
their hands, but he couldn do it. The
Filipino war was a legacy that Spain
had handed over to the Americans. and
until these took the prisoners either by
force of arms or treaty they were still
his as much as if he were yet fighting
against the old country.
In this wretched Filipino war there
will be few large strategic movements
or scientific campaigns over which
learned military critics il newspaper
and magazine offices at home may ex-
ploit their brilliancy. The strategy has
been now to run down Aguinaldo and
catch him. now to surround him and
drive him in, both of which lines Of
policy have signaily failed up to date.
1t is in the story of individual ex-
ploits and regiments that the thrilling
interest and romance of this war will
lie Each regiment ought to have its
own history carefully written by some
one who knows how to do it.
The battle of the Rio Grande, north
of Manila, was one of the most import
ant that has taken place here, notable
because then and there the insurgents
maintained their ground and allowed
themselves to be fired at full 90 min
utes before they began to run. 1t was
signal victory for us, yet the immediate
success of the attack was owing to the
pluck and skill of only two men. They
belonged to the Kansas regiment.
The insurgents were ON one side of
the Rio Grande, the Americans on the
other To whip the insurgents it was
necessary to get at them, and they had
so damaged the bridge over the river
that it was impossible to cross our lit