Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1899-06-23
OUR ARMY IN
THE PHILIPPINES
Making Slow Progress
Our casualties great, many
prostrations from the in
tonoo boo+ S;olx ,4 41

@AOtAk tAAS III"
tense heat. Sick not reported.
1t is evident from al 1.-The accounts
that reach US from Manila that Gen.
Otis is making slow progress ID con.
quering the Filipinos, if indeed he
is making any progress at all. The
dispatches tell us almost daily of
victories won by the Americans. Of
Filipino forces scattered and driven
out OF towns and districts. But the
Americans al Q not able to garrison
the places captured and as sooa as
they retire the Filipinos return, The
fgting now is in the very neighbor.
hood of Manila, only few miles
from that city. Practically no pro.
has been made in pacifying the
island. We would not underrate the
the achievements of the American
soldiers. They have displayed
courage, skill and foItitude which
deserve admiration. They have en-
dured hardships without complaint
aud have waged war under the. most
trying circumstances But it is only
too plain that they are unable TO &C.
complish the task assigned them.
The army of General Otis is to small
too cope with the numerous and
warlike Filipinos, for that they are
warlike, can not longer be disputed.
The war is costing the United States
about one million dollars day and
the ranks Of the army are constantly
depleted by the casualties of war and
still moro by the ravages Of disease,
resulting from the deadly nature OF
the climate. Since the rainy season
has ses in the Filipinos have pushed
toeir operations with renewed vigor,
rightly calculating that the Amer.
leans would be more idcOmmoded
by the inclemency Of the weather
than the natives, who are insured to
the climate. It is not likely that
General Otis can do more than re.
tain Manila and the sdjacent ter
ritory during the rainy season.
When the dry weather of autumn
returns, he will be able to take the
fild with some hope of success,
provided he is in the meantime re.
enforced to sfficient extent. Not
long ago he reported to the War
Department that thirty thousand
men would be sufficient to put down
the insurrection. Experience has
proved that his estimate was too
low. 1t may become necessary to
send double that number OF troo ps.
The President has authority of law
to call out thirty-fve thousand vol
unteers.. He has not yet thought
proper to avail himself of that
authority. His failure to call out
volunteers is perhaps due to his con-
dence in the opinion Of General Otis
that he could accomplish his task
with thirty thousand troops.
Now that it is evident to all that
General Otis was mistaken, it would
seem to be the duty Of the ad-
miuistration to change Its policy and
send an overwhelming force to
Lnzon. One of two thinSs should
be done. Either the war ought to
be stopped and peace made with the
Filipinos on some terms or an
adequate force should be sent 10 the
philippines to overwhelm the Fill
ipinos in short time. 1t is dis.
creditable to our government to per-
init the war to drag on month after
month as 30 heavy cost of blood and
treasure. 1t would be good economy
if the war is to be prosecuted, as
well as a more humane policy, to
crush the Filipinos by dealing heavy
blows than to dilly daily With, them
through many weary months. II it
is the determination of the United
States to conquer and bold the
philippines the native should be
made to respect our authority by @
display of vigor and overwhelming
power. But, after all is said, it be
| comes more and mora ev;dant thol