Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-25
WAR WILL LAST LONG
General Opinion in Manila Regarding
the Insurrectlon.
DRAWBACKS OF TIE CLIMATE
Lawton Once Had the Rebel Army
in Trap.
nPnFPFD no WITH n r w
ORDERED TO WITHDRAW

MANILA, July %, via San Francisco,
August 25.-In Manila talk of the ending of
the war deals no longer with weeks, but
with months and even years. Among the
mass of people here military men and for
eign residents, there is but one opinion.
The whole effort of the insurgents for three
months was to hold off Americans until
their ally, the rains, came. In this they
have been successful as they could have
hoped. Unless affairs take some unforeseen
turn, the Fiipinos will resume the war this
fall with fresh spirit and a replenished
stock of arms and ammunition. One ship
load of arms. it is learned on good author
ity, has reached them within this week. OF
money the leaders of the instruction have
no lack. They control the resources of a
large and exceedingly rich country, and even
though no crops We're harvested for several
years. they could still obtain enough cash
and supplies by impressing to their use the
treasures of the church, the storehouses of
farmers and manufacturers. and funds OF
private individuals-a system of levy which
they have long enforced with considerable
success All the ships coming and going in
to the ports recently opened to trade pay
heavy tribute to the insurgents.
Much of the profits of this informal sort
of government are supposed to go into the
pockets of the leaders excepting Aguinaldo.
who is generally acquitted of enriching
himself by the present war; but when the
public treasury becomes empty the polite
ians who ere exploiting Aguinaldo may. if
they see possibility of success. consider
the war good private investment.
Reports brought through the lines to
SpaniardS and FilipnOs in this city are
that the spirits of the insurrectonists are
improving.
Cannot Campaign in the Mud.
Americans. like the Snaniards, must de-
fer to nature and rest on their arms most
of the time while the country is mud
wallow. The generals are telling their fol-
lowers that American inaction during the
past month is due to encouragement and
decentralization. The Filipino soldiers, ac-
cording to these informants, are tolerably
contented. Although the paymaster sell
dom appears, they are living as comfort
ably as they have been accustomed to. be-
ing clothed and receiving rations which
an American soldier could not live on,
chiefly rice with only occasionally a little
fish or meat. They are fairly well housed,
having taken possession of the dwellings
ard public and church buildings in the
towns in which they are quartered, and
they add to their living by looting.
Through the American secret service
come different stories that the Filipino
army is becoming decimated by desertion
to the number of twenty or thirty day,
and are fast losing heart and on the verge
of disruption.
Past experience with the secret service
justifies a suspicion that many of It's en-
ployeS most of whom are natives or Span
iards, are deeply interested in holding their
places by seeming to earn their pay while
the refugees who come through the lines
have been disposed to give reports which
they think Will please the authorities AL
most since the beginning of the war they
have pictured the F'ilipino army as on it's
last legs, and its collapse but a question
Il ha
to be placarded with an offer of $50 for
each insurgent rifle voluntarily surrender
ed II the Filipino soldiers We're deserving
by companies. tired of the war and con-
Verted to American rule many of them
might be expected to bring their guns into
the American lines and receive the reward.
The entire harvest from this offer, how
ever, has been less than 100 guns
La.vton's Plans Thwarted.
There was time when Aguinaldo's big
gest army hung in the balance; when its
destruction appeared inevitable. That was
when Macarthur had captured San Fer
nando and Lawton was marching upon
San Isidro with the Filipinos scattering
before him. LaWton had made himself a
terror to the insurgents because no OBJ
stacles stopped him. If the country was
tracklesS his men cut roads, and the gen
eral and his staff took off their coats and
helped. When rationS were not forthcom-
lHS tHeN DFedklaSteG on another inch of
their belts and marched ahead, and they
always managed to attack from an unex-
pected quarter, knowing what road or
which side of town had been entrenched
and bouncing in from any direction.
With Lawton at San Isidro the rebels
feared he might sweep around upon Tarlac
where they had installed their nomadic
capital catch them between two rmies'
All the archives, seals. gilt triangles and
treasure boxes We're packed ready for ship
a o firct of
Lawton'S advance. Lawton asked to be
allowed to do it with the men and rations
he had. But orders came to withdraw his
troops from San Isidro ana return to
MaloloS, leaving small garrisonS at some of
the towns he had captured. His retire
ment the Filpinos construed into a retreat
and from that day the sinking hopes of the
insurrection seemed to rise Luna and
Mascardo, who had retreated northward
from San Fernando toward Tarlac, brought
their armies ba and proceeded to con-
struct a horseshoe line of entertainments
around san Fernando, where, according to
reports, they led their followers to believe
they had Macarthur beseged
The assassination of Luna was expected
to bring the whole Filipino organization
topping down in civil war. but, while the
usual stories of dissensions are heard its
only result, so far outward appearances
go, was to leave Aguinaldo the undsputed
leadership. The Filipinos are encouraged
by the handicap the rains impose upon the
untcers They read the American news
papers, and think the home sentiment
against is growing.
Rebel Plan of CAMPAIGN
Their policy, after the rains, will be as it
was before-a campaign for gaining time
and wearing out their opponents
They profess to imagine that Congress will
declare against annexation. If Congress
fails them, they will try to prolong the
struggle until the presidential campaign
with the expectation that one of the po-
litioal parties will declare against imperial
ism, and hope that such party may win.
To whip them while they are pushing such
tactics an army will be needed that can
move rapidly and strike day after day fol-
lowing up defeat without having to wait
for rationS, and thus giving the enemy time
to reOrganiZe. To capture them most of
the generals here think, cavalry will be
necessary. Time after time the Americans
have carefully planned movements which
seemed sure to result in the rounding up
of two or three thousand rebels in a trap
but every time the difficulties of the conn
try, the slowness of the wagon trains and
the superior agility of the light-moying
natives have conspired against them. and
when the several divisions of the army
came together they have found a handful
of obsequious brown men, who announced
themselves amigos"
Last Rites Performed.