The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-07
Aguinald0 May Be Captured In Next
F0rty-eight Hours.
LAYING A TRAP FOR HIN
SURROUNDED BY MACARTHUR
AND WHEATON's FORCES.
From Reports Received at Wash
ington From Manila It Is Believed
That He Cannot Escape-Auton-
omous Government For Filipinos
of Island of Negros Established.


Herald from Washington says: With
forces aggregating more than 10000
fighting men, Generals Lawton, MacAr-
thur and Wheaton are closing in on
Aguinaldo'S army. General Otis set
Nov. . and as the dates for COM
mencing the campaign all along the
line and the war department has in
formation today that the programme IS
being carried out.
General Otis dispatches are optimis-
tic in the highest degree, and the Of
ficialS are predicting that the rebellion
will be crushed before the end of the
present month, and that important
victories viii be ANNOUNCED within a
few DAYS.
The military situation was thus ana
lyzed today by an official familiar with
General Otis plan of operation, as re-
ported to the war department:
"Aguinaldo, with his army greatly
reduced, owing to recent disinteSration,
is at Bayambang, twenty miles north
of Tarlac, which was his headquarters
and the objective OF Lawton's and Mac
Arthur's armies UP to a fortnight ago.
General Macarthur moves north
ward along the railroad to Bayambang,
taking the towns Of Tarlac, Panaque,
Moncoda and others as he goes along
General Lawton moves northward from
Colanatuan as his base, and, with col
umns Swerving to the right and left to
sweep the country to the Rio Agno
river, and to head off AguinaldO's es-
cape TO the mountains through Rio
Agno valley. AT last accounts detach-
ments from his command had taken
Aliaga, west of his base, Talavera be-
ing TO the north and Bayambang to the
northwest.
General Wheaton's Movements.
General Wheaton moves southwark
from Dagupan to Bayambang. His
movements up to this time have been
kept from the public, but now that the
campaign is in progress l am at liberty
to mention that he headed an expedi-
ton sent out on transports for the Gulf
OF Lingayen last week. The navy's
task was to shell the towns on the
southern part of the gulf, so as to ef-
feet the safe landing of his expedition.
Unless Aguinaldo has escaped to the
eastward through the Rio Agno valley,
he ought TO be caught between General
Wheaton's forces from the north and
General MacArthurs from the south
within the next forty-eight hours, as
Bayambang. where he is supposed TO
be located, is less than twenty miles
from Dagupan and about forty miles
from Angeles.
Although General MacArthurs
main forces were at Angeles at last
accounts, it is believed that one OF his
columns has reached and taken Tarlac
before this, that the railroad to that
point is now in control of the American
forces, and that it is only a question
of few days when his command will
reach Bayambang.
From the plan of campaign mapped
out Aguinaldo's only possible means of
escape would seem to be to- the east
ward through the Rio Agno valley into
he ,fe,sR F11ar-
Generals Lawton and Macarthur, NOV
ing northward, are keeping scouts well
out TO the front, so as TO prevent tae
enemy from escaping. southwark"
Aguinaldo Is Penned.
1t seems to have been figured out by
the authorities that Aguinaldo would
not attempt to cross the mountains to
the northeastward, because when he
got on to the other side he would find
people quite as hostile to the TagaloS
as the American troops. The northern
part of the island of LuzOn is cut off
from the central by high ranges of
The other side is peopled
by mixed races-Malay, Chinese and
Negrito. 1t is said they are friendly
to the United States. and particularly
bitter against the Tagalos.
The war department has not been
advised as to the exact number of
troops now engaged under Generals I
Lawton, Macarthur and Wheaton, but ]
It is estimated that of the $4,000 which !
General Otis reported he had yesterday, I
at least 10000 are engaged in the cam /
paign north Of Manila According to |
recent dispatches from General Otis, /
here has been a general scattering of !
A guinaldo's forces, and one report stat /
I'd that he did not have more than 5000 |
men with him at Bayambang.
General Otis expressed tho opinion |
hat the disintegration of Aguinaldo's /
nen meant that they were getting tired |
# the war, and predicted the surrender I
# large number of bands in a short |
ime. Some of the military experts fear
General Otis is over sanguine on this |
,oint, and that the -disintegration may
mean the beginning Of a prolonged
guerrilla warfare.