The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-26

Cen OTIS has made statement OF f-e
situation 100 the Philippines. sad 20 Dr. the
first and only -ement OF the kind ne nas
made for publication. IL Is contained BOO
dispatches sent from Manila last SI,ur-
day. The statement is Of such hopeful
charri ctef that one H. inclined TO wonder
- nether he fully unders lnds the matters
81 y hich he speaks. He ought 10 Dee tlor-
oDshly informed OF the entire situation ais
opportunities for getting Information being
Of me best Il has been asserted num-
oer OF times by correspondents thst Gen.
Ori= does NOT understand the Fuipinos AMI
mat more tran once he mas been deceived
by them That assertion comes forc bly,
20 mind when realizing bis explanation o.
tie situation.
The Fiipinos. iu MS opinion. are thor
a4ghiy Disguised wiih the insurgent gov
eminent They have had enough OF in
ieuenleuce. such independence as they are
having under Aguinaldo. and a. they are
likely 20 have under q government Of
t1eir own. He is ln receipt Of letters
daily from innuenua Filipinos ia the diff
fenent provinces OF Luzon asking him 20
send troops TO protect them against the in
surgent army. and 10 hasten the estab-
hshment Of American rule. The reply he
makes TO these appeals II that the people
wanted independence. and. having IT, they
ought 10 give 1t little longer trial
Gen. OTIS thinks il is perhaps a good
thing that The Instruction was not ended
within a short time after it began. for ,he
reason that the people are getting an ex-
perience that they viii never forget. They
were passionately bent on having indie
pendence though they did not know what
Independence meant Now they are find
ing out. and the more they have Of it the
less they ike il. With a little more such
experience as they have mad, and are hav-
ing. they viii be ready 10 turn against
Aguinaldo and those who are acting with
him, and drive them into the sea. Even
now. he says. there are dissensions among
the leaders of Aguinaldo's forces, and de-
sertons are numerous. The army has
been held together only by assertions Of
the leaders that the American Congress
would be called together and give the FIJI
ipinos their independence.
So confident does Gen. Otis appear that
the Instruction is nearing its end that he
predicts that if Congress when it meets,
decides not TO interfere with the Presi-
dents policy in the Philippines. opposition
to American rule viii disappear altogether
and peace will reign in the Islands
is this the actual situation? That is a
question which time alone can answer
Several months ago it was thought that
peace was at hand. Filipino commission
ers met our commissioners for the purpose
of agreeing on terms of peace. 1t turned
out that the Filipino commissioners had
no authority to act for the insurgents, aud
that. in fact they were only trying TO gain
a little time for Aguinaldo TO complete his
preparations for war. May it not be that
the Filipinos who are writing letters to
Gen. Otis. telling him that the Filipinos
are tired of the war and of independence
are only trying to fool him?
1t is fact that notwithstanding
the President seems to have the
greatest confidence IN Gen. Ous, the coun-
try is beginning to doubt that he is the
right man for the responsible position of
Governor General of the Philippines He
may do very well for the civil part of the
administration. but it is questioned wheth-
er he is fitted for the military part of it,
A man with more dash, more determina-
ton, more aggressiveness is needed
There must be something decisive in he
battles that are fought The most of Gen.
OTIS battles have been skirmishes from
which no lasting results have been obtain
ed. Would it not be wei for the Presi-
dent 10 put somebody else in command of
the Philippine army?