The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-08-25
WILL BE NO CHANGE
Gen. Merritt, After . Lengthy Confer.
ence with the President, says Otis
Will Remain In COmmand,

80 : { /. 4 FL s
Gen. Merritt, After 4 Lengthy Confer
ence with the President, says otis
Will Remain In Command.
Plattsburg, N. Y, Aug. 21.-At the
close of his interview with President
Mckinley Sunday night Gen. Merritt
said:
so far as know there will be no imme-
diate change in military commanders in
regard as one of the most capable and eff
cient officers in the service, will continue in
charge OF the American forces
with an efficient force Of say $1,000
troops believe he will be- able to put down
the rebellion. Just how much time will be
required, however, cannot say. Aguinal-
40 and his men have put up much better
ngnt tnan thought them capable Of at the
outset, put there can be but one outcome to
the conflict, complete victory for Amer
lean arms.
can now but repeat what have said
time and again, that the Instruction would
nave been broken ere this had It not been
1or the moral support which Aguinaldo and
ms men have received from the United
States. -s -
"The delay in the ratification of the peace
treaty, coupled with the impotent OPPOSE
ton to the administration policy in the
1ar east did more to encourage AguinaIdo
and his followers than anything else. How
ever. this Is an event Of the past and must
be considered as such.
'There remains but one thing to do, that
Is TO carry the conflict to a successful con-
clusion. This result will, believe. soon be
accomplished by Gen. Otis and the CORDS of
able assistants who have been assigned to
his command"
will you be sent to the Philippfnes?"
was asked.
Not now" replied the general.
Washington, Aug. 21.-The maps of
the philippines, and especially of that
portion of the island of Luzon north
and south Of Manila, which has been
prepared for the use of Secretary
Root, may assume more important
part in the coming campaign than has
been given it heretofore. Secretary
Root has not only ascertained where
the United States troops are located,
and has them nicely marked off on the
map, but he has also taken into con-
sideration such information as can be
obtained relative to the population of
the adjacent country, the kind of peo-
pie and their disposition toward the
United States. The secretary has also
been studying the lines of transporta-
ton and learning what he can of the
geography of the country.
1t is believed that more than one
army can operate to advantage in the
Philippines, and the suggestion has
been made by some army officers that
an army should start from different
points and operate in such a manner as
to distract and destroy the Filipino
forces. At present the United States
forces do not occupy the line of rail-
way half way to Lingayen, on the gulf
of the same name.
1t has been suggested that if one
force were to start from Lingayen and
move south at the same time that an
other were moving north, there would
be a very great probability of securing
the entire railway for the use of the
army and the insurgents would be sep
arated into divisions east and west by
the railroad, as they are now divided
into northern and southern bands. Be-
tween Angeles and Lingayen is Tarlac,
a town of considerable size and sit
uated in province where the natives
are said not to be unfriendIy to the
United States. If this province could
be occupied it might be of great adj
vantage to the government.
While these are merely suggestions,
it may be that when the army in the
Philippines consists of $4,000 men in
stead of about 10000 or $4,000, it will
be possible to have four or more armies
operating instead of two, as during the
last campaign.
Manila, Aug. 21.-One lieutenant of
the Twelfth infantry was killed and an
other was seriously wounded while re-
connoitering Saturday evening north of
Angeles. The Americans encountered a
large force of insurgents and drove
them from their positions. Lieut.. Cole,
of the Sixth infantry, with 80 men, ems
countered 100 insurgents intrenched in
the mountains of the island of Negros
and routed them after an hour and a
half of severe fighting. The Americans
had three men slightly hurt. Nineteen
dead insurgents were counted in the
trenches. Six rifles and a quantity of
reserve ammunition were captured. The
insurgents recently cut the cable in
Laguna bay, leading to Calamba, on
the south shore of the lake, but the
break has been repaired.
President and Governor Meet.