Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-02
ECHOES OF Our wan.

A eigninoant feature Of the Philippine dis
cusslon Is the substantial unity Of sentiment
among army and navy chaplains in favor OF
permanent control of the islands by the
United States. They represent various de-
nominations. Having been at the front and
participated in tho campaign against the
Tagalos, and having, prior to the outbreak,
enjoyed exceptional facilities for study and
observation, their unbiased views carry much
weight, Among the outspoken chaplainc are
McKinnon Of the California volunteers, Mail
ley OF the Fighting First Nebraska and
Chaplain Reamy of the Olympia, now a
guest Of Omaha friends.
Chaplain McKinnon delivered a lecture in
New York City a few days ago in which he
expressed the greatest confiderce in the sue
Gees OF American rule In the Philippines
after peace has been restored, and that the
natives would receive greater freedom than
is possible under Aguinaldo and his hackers.
Tho natives" he said, ARE not capable of
self lf-government, nor doeo any large proper
ton of them wish 1t. Most of the tribes have
sense enough to sec how hopeless II would
bo for them to attempt It, They are quick
to learn and are good imitators so we may
hope that with our Instructions and good
oxampl, before them after a couple OF
generations they may be capable of self
government,
Il really think that the war is about halt
over. Most Of the leaders had come int
the United States camp before left.
shall bc greatly surprised II there are any
moro largo fights. Tho statement that we
have only captured few miles about Manila
ia misleading. Tho Tagalcs. the only tribe
fighting us, live in the territory which lies
within the radius of fifty miles of Manila
and when we shall have conquered their
province we shall have conquered the whole
archipelago. And thil has nearly been ac-
complshed, now that the Tagalos have been
forced back into unfriendly territory, and
just as soon as we have men enough In
these provinces to protect the friendly ma
tives then Aguinaldo and his followers will
have to move out"
Chaplain McKinnon repudiated the charges
THAI American soldiers had desecrated and
looted the churches. Ho mentioned par
ticularly the church at Caloocan, and in
sisted emphatically that ono church hal
been despoiled first by the insurgents and
afterward by the Chinese. In como cases
when the insurgents had used tho churches
as a stronghold, 1t had been necessary t.
| turn tho artillery against them.
| When the news of the death of Major Gu,
| Howard reached his brother, Captain c. o
Howard ot Philadelphia, the latter sent
message to Secretary of War Root as fol.
lows: Permit me to say that you may
! from now on count on me as available a
any time, at any place, where 1 may be o
any service to you, the president or my
| country" Captain Howard is the second eor
| of General O. O. Howard and was horn Will;
hin father was fighting at Charlottesville
He was educated at Phillips Andover acad
emy, and was afterward instructor in math
cmatcs and military tactic, at Corn wall
| N. Y. During residence at Omaha he wa!
| captain of the Omaha Guards. In 1893 Cap
tain Howard lived on Governors island a.
a pension office employe under Col mel Franz
| G. Loveland and while there commanded fou
companies of the Boys Brigade connectet
with the Newark Congregational church. A
present his business connections are in Phil
adelphia and he makes Mount Holly, N. j.
! hi, home.
The third of General Howards sons, John
! is at present lieutenant in the Forty eight
volunteer infantry, stationed at Fort Thomas
KY, which has been ordered TO pro
| ceed to San Francisco to embark for Maniis
on November 9. He is 33 years old HI
military career began not long after hi
| graduation from the Troy Polytechnle in
stitute,, when he received a presidential sp
pointment as second lieutenant ia the Nine
| teenth, infantry in 1891. He took course II
tho infantry and cavalry school, was grad
uated in 1895, and during the Spanish wa
| waa with tho army of occupation in Porte
Rico under General Miles