The Topeka state journal., 1899-04-20
Otis Says That Number of Men
is Sufficient
For Carrying on Operations In
the Philippines.
VOLUNTEERS RETURN
Will Be Carried on as Rapidly
as Regulars
Arrive in the Archipelago to
Replace Them.

Washington, April 2O.-Secretary AL
ger has received a reply from Gen. OTIS
10 his inquiry of yesterday as to wheth-
er the reinforcements to be sent to him
to relieve the volunteers would be suf-
ffcient for the purpose of the campaign
Gen. Otis replies in the affirmative, the
estimate of go. OCO men to constitute the
army agreeing with his own calcula-
tions The programme for the move
ment of the regulars out to Manila and
of the volunteers homeward, therefore,
will be carried out. Gen. Otis adds to
his message the hopeful remark that he
expects very shortly to be able to report
q decided Improvement in the situation
in the Philippines.
IA, 900 REGULARS TO BE SENT.
New York, April 2O.-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
Fourteen thousand regulars are to be
sent to reinforce Gen. Otis at Manila
as soon as the necessary marine trans
pOrtatiOn can be provided The first
regiment to be ordered will probably be
the Seventh artillery of which the two
light batteries c and NJ have been or
dered home from Porto Rico for the
purpose. They Will be sent at once to
San Francisco to await an available
transpacific steamer. The thirteen
heavy batteries of the regiment will be
equipped as infantry, according to pres
ent plans. although one of them may be
used as light artillery.
The headquarters of the regiment and
four batteries are now at Ft. SlOcum.
N Y, two at FIT Adams, r. l., and
one each at Portland Head. Me, FIT Pre-
BILE, Me, Growers Cliff Mass, Fit. Schuy-
Ter, y. Y, and Washington barracks.
The garrisOns. like most of the other
posts of the army in the United States,
will be left in charge of detachments.
1t is not expected that the bulk of the
large body of reinfOrcements can reach
Manila until the END of the rainy sea-
son, which has just begun, but they will
closely follow the departure from the
Philippines Of the volunteers With the
regular troops already ordered and on
the way to Manila, Gen. Otis will have
an effective force of 21.72S men, in addi-
tion to the recruits being sent every few
days for the regiments already in the
Philippines. This force is to be raised
to $4,000 men by the time the aggressive
operations can be pressed in the early
autumn The volunteers to be returned
to this country from Manila number
barely i, 600, many of whom are greatly
debilttated. so the determination to send
$4,000 able bodied regulars to take their
places is calculated to show the rebel
leaders that the United States is ter
ribly in earnest about meeting its re-
sponsibilities for preserving order and
commanding respect throughout the
archipelago.
1t is announced that the army in the
philippines is to be increased to So. 900
men, Wnetner the rebels abandon the
field or not. If Aguinaldo gives up his
hopeless fight as a result of the nego-
IlatlOnS now in progress between his fol-
lowers and the presidents commission
erS, $4,000 men are deemed the right
number to garrison the forts in the out
lying Islands and esta blish lawful gov
ernInent in them. If the insurrection
continues in IuZOn at least So 600 troops
II is estimated by the authorities. will
be required there for the campaign that
VIII be undertaken, the remaining 1000
going to garrison the chief places which
nave been opened to foreign trade
FILIPINO JUNTA SPLITS
/ London, April cot has been learned
ny the representative of the Associated
Press that a split has occurred between
the members of the Filipino iunta a
majority of whom are in favor of di
rect conferences with the secretary of
state at Washington, Col. John Hav
with the view of bringing about a peace
ful solution of the Philippine question.
-Four delegates, Lasala. Marti I,opez
and Rivera, finding that AgonciIlo
Agulnaldo's representative, disagrees
with this view, have started for Manila
leaving Agoncillo, Riogo and Lunar.
VINO insist upon absolute and uncondi-
tlonal independence, in Europe. The
others do not object to some form of
American intervention in the govern
anent of the islands and say they be
aieve a personal meeting beteen Aguin
aldo and Admiral Dewey. in whom alone
the Fflipinos declare they have conf
uence, will lead to a settlement.