The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-25
An UncensOred Letter From the
Philippines
Tells How Lawton Was Ordered
to Retreat.
ABANDONS SAN ISIDRO
just When He Was Ready to
Smash the Enemy.
Spies Deceive Otis and He De-
ceiVes the Country.

Manila, July u, via San Francisco,
Aug. 25.-In Manila talk of the ending
of the war deals no longer with weeks,
but with months and even years.
Whether the end comes after a few
months or after two or three years de-
ponds upon whether the same sort of
tactics which dragged through five
months and resulted in the conquest of
three square inches on the two foot
map of Luzon be continued or methods
of striking the enemy fast and repeat
edly and holding the country gained be
substituted. Among the mass of people
here, military men and foreign resi-
dents, there is but one opinion. The
whole effort of the insurgents for three
months was to hold off the Americans
until their ally, the rain, arrived In
this they have been as successful as
they could have hoped. Unless affairs
take some Unforeseen turn, the Fill
pinOs will resume the war this fall
with fresh spirit and a repleniShed
stock OF arms and ammunition.
One ship load of arms, it is learned
on good authority, has reached them
within the last week. Of money the
leaders of the instruction have no
lack. They control the resources of a
large and exceedingly rich country and
even though no crops were harvested,
for several years they could still OBJ
tain enough cash and supplies by i'm
pressing to their use the treasures of
the church, the storehOuses of farmers
and manufacturers and the funds of
private individuals, a system of levy
which they have long enforced with
considerable success. All the ships
coming and going in the ports recently
opened TO trade pay heavy tribute to
the insurrectiOn. Much of the profits
of this informal sort of government are
supposed to go into the pockets of the
leaders excepting Aguinaldo, who is
generally acquitted of enriching him
self by the present war, but when the
public treasury becomes empty, the
politicians, who are exploiting Agui-
naldo, may, if they see a possibility of
success, consider the war a good priv
ate investment.
Reports brought through the lines to
Spaniards and Filipinos in this city
are that the spirits of the Instruction
lists are improving.
Americans, like the Spaniards, must
defer to nature and rest on their arms
most of the time while the country is
a mud wallow. The generals are tell
ing their followers that American in
action during the past month is due to
announcement and Decentralization.
me Filipino soldiers, according to
these infOrmants are -tOIerably content
ed. Although the paynaSter seldom
appears they are living as comfortably
as they have been accustomed to, being
clothed and receiving ratiOns, which
an American soldier could not live on.
chiefly rice, with only occasionally a
little fish or meat They are fairly well
dwellings, and public and church build
ings in the towns in which they are
quartered and they add to their living
by lOoting.
Through the American secret service
come different stories-that the Fill
pino army is becoming decimated by
daily assertions to the number of TWEEN
ty or thirty and is fast losing heart
and is on the verge of disruption. Past
experience with the secret service
JustlHes a suspicion that many of it's
employees, most of whom are natives
or Spaniards, are deeply interested in
holding their places by seeming to earn
their pay, while the refugees who come
through the lines have been disposed
to give reports which they think will
please the authorities. Almost since the
beginning of the war they have pic
tured the Filipino army as on it's last
legs and its disbanding but a question
of days.
Months ago General Otis caused the
country to be placarded with an offer
of thirty dollars for each insurgent
rifle voluntarily surrendered, though
for some reason the newspaper CORE
spondents were forbidden to telegraph
to the United States this fact, which