The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-12
THE SITUATION IN THE PHILIP
DIMES


What Is the exact situation in the Philip
pines? That is a question which isn't
answered by what appears in the dis
patches from Manila one day it seems
from the best information obtainable that
the end of the war is close at hand. aud
the very next day something comes over
the wires which creates the impression
that the war is not much nearer its end
than it was before the fall of Malolos.
There is no doubt that our soldiers are
winning victories almost every day. They
are doing splendid work, and are giving
the Filipinos an exhibition of fighting
such as they never saw while the Span
iards were in control of the islands. but
somehow or other the Filipinos do not ap-
pear to be any more willing to submit to
our rule than they were when the fighting
began.
A Manila dispatch, published yesterday,
contained the opinion Of an army officer
on the situation. He said: I'VE will see
a hundred thousand soldiers in the Philip
pines before the Americans control the
islands" 1t is alleged that majority of
the army in the Philippines are of the opin-
ion Of the officer quoted.
Assuming that the officer in question is
we'll informed we have only just entered
upon our task in the Philippines. The
new army bin only permits an army of
10000 men-65,OOO regulars and $500 vol
understand 1t has been the understand
ing ever since the adjournment of Con-
gress that the President has no intention
Of calling for any volunteers.
If 1t is going 10 take 100000 soldiers to
make the Filipinos respect our authority
it will be much longer than a year before
peace will prevail in the Philippines. In
the meantime our soldiers who are now
there want TO come home. They are say
ing that they didn't enlist to fight savages
and that their contract was that they
should be mustered out as soon as the war
with Spain was over. That war is ended
and therefore there is reason in their de-
mand TO be mustered out.
There are only a few weeks more in
which a campaign can be conducted be-
fore the rainy season will begin. With
will have to retire to barracks. It viii
take constant watchfulness and perhaps
some fighting to prevent the Filipinos from
regaining the ground they have lost. And
il will require the greatest care to pre-
vent very serious sickness among our SOL
diers during the rainy season. And par
ucularly will this be the case if fresh
faIr1
partly acclimated troops now there.
We do not call attention to these mat
ters for the purpose of creating the i'm
preston that we have undertaken much
greater task than we thought it would be,
or to cast doubt of our ability to accom-
pllsh IL successfully but to show that there
is great confusion In the public mind as to
just what the situation in the Philippines
is. 1t may be that those upon whom de-
pendence is placed for information do not
know what the situation is, there being
development all the time which give
changing views OF it.
1t is clear that the proclamation which
was issued a few days ago to the Fill
pinos by our commissioners in Manila has
hot piouuceu tile IMPRESSION winch was eX-
pected. The truth is probably it has
never reached more than a few hundred of
them and never will reach the
vast majority of them. Those who
are leading the revolution don't intend to
accept anything less than our retirement
from the Islands If they can avoid doing
so, and therefore the proclamation will
have no effect ON them.
When he began his campaign Gen. Otis
hoped to have peace restored before the be-
ginning of the rainy season. 1t looks as
if he was going to be disappointed 1t is
certain, however, that the war will he
continued and conducted vigorously I'M
til our authority is recognized, whether 1t
lasts one week or one year There will
be no hating until our victory is COM
plete, whatever the cost may be.