Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-27
NO CAUSE FOR APPREHENSION.
View of Administration Officials Re-
gardinG Our Troops at Manila.

View of Administration Officials Re-
gardinG Our Troops at Manila.
There is nothing in the situation at Ma
Mia today to cause alarm for the safety of
the American troops, in the opinion of the
administration officials who are best in
formed. Since Cen Otis cabled Saturday
evening to this effect there has come no
word from him tending to qualify the state
ment in any sense. Nor has Admiral
Dewey been heard from further, according
to Secretary Long; so from this absence of
positive news the officials are bound 10
draw the conclusion that nothing has hap
pened to warrant apprehension.
Respecting the reported landing OF for-
eign marines al Manila. not a word of con-
firmation has been received at either the
War Department or the Navy Departneit.
Possibly it is true that something OF lnls
kind has happened, but the fact that the
report of a general landing comes from
Madrid inclines our officials to the oeleI
that the news is false.
press dispatch received several uays
ago mentioned the landing of a few British
bluejackets each evening to wet down the
British consulate, a measure or protectlon
from fire during the intensely dry season
in the Philippines. and it is probable that
this is the fouuda ton for the Madrid story
of a general landing.
Course of Gen. Rios.
Some notice is beginning to be taken here
of the markedly hostile reports that are
being cabled to Madrid by Gen. Rios, the
ranking Spanish officer at Manila, and If
he persists in this course he may be called
to account by Gen. Otis, who probably does
not know what the officer is doing. Tech
nically. Rios is a prisoner of war, and so
his actions are subject to the complete con-
troll of the United States officers at Manila.
His reports have been uniformly misstate-
ments of facts, or gross distortions of them,
with the plain purpose OF giving 1alSe
impression of the weakness of the Amer
lean position in the Philippines, perhaps
with a deliberate purpose to justify some
of the powers to recognize the belllgerency
of the insurgents. The latter are believed
to be suffering from the lack of war sup
plies and such recognition at the hands of
even one of the nations whose possessions
border on the China sea would be of the
greatest assistance to their cause.
Just why Rios is going to Zamboanga as
announced from Manila, is not known here,
but it is presumed that Gen. Otis would not
parmit of any such movement were 1t not
demanded by the necessity for preparing
the remnant of Spanish troops in the Phil
ippines for shipment home to Europe.
When he evacuated 1lOilo just in season to
en.barrass the Americans in their attempt
to occupy the place, he took his garrison
Down the coast to Zamboagna, on the
Island of Mindanao. 1t IS suppOs 81 that
when he came up to Manila himself he left
these troops at Mindanao, and that he is
now going there to ship them home, for
according to the reports of the War De-
partment, the Spanish Transportation Com
pany will have taken aboard the last of
the Spanish troops in the Philippines be-
fore the middle of next month.
Otis Able to Maintain His Position.
Touching Gen. Otis position at Manila.
it is said at the War Department that the
truth is that not for one moment has he
had any doubt as to his ability to maintain
his position. But his lines are so long and
thin, the estimate being that they extend
over twenty-five miles of the worst kind of
country, that without considerable REIN
fOrcements he is not able to carry on the
aggressive warfare that he feels the situa
tion demands. With the approach of the
wet season the necessity increases for the
dispersion of the insurgents from the neigh
borhOod of Manila, and this can be done
only with the aid of reinfOrcements. 1t is
estimated from Gen. Lawton's prediction
yesterday that he would arrive at Sings-
pore by next Sunday and that he viii be
at Manila by the Wednesday following at
the latest, for it is known that the Grant
will make all possible speed now that it is
known that there is need for her and the
troops she takes to Otis.
1t is stated by Secretary Long and by
all of the other naval officials concerned
tEat the department has given no orders
to the Iowa to proceed from San Fran
cisco to Manila, and that none are in con-
temptation. 1t will be at least two months
before the repairs to the Iowa can be COM
pleted.
Recognition of Rebels Refused.
The officials at the War Department were
asked today why Gen. Otis had refused to
recognize the commissioners who had come
to Manila from the insurgent headquarters
at Malolos, when they came to seek peace.
The reply was that Gen. Otis was acting
with the greatest propriety in this matter.
He was careful not to commit his govern
ment TO any recognition of Aguinaldo that
would make a precedent in the future, and
then there was always the best of reasons
for Withholding confidence in every act of
the insurgents where the placing of trust
would imperil American lives and interests.
The Filipino insurgents will have diff
Guilty in securing amnesty, it is said, If they
lay down their arms and submit uncondi-
tionaly, for there is no purpose on the part
of the American commanders to wreak
vengeance upon submissive foe. But in
addition TO the military reasons why Gen.
Otis should be very cautious in entering
into any entangling negotiations with the
insurgents, there is also the ever present
danger that he may by failing to be eau
tiOus in this particular, give to some jeal-
Gus foreign power the very pretext it needs
for a formal recognition of the insurrec-
ton, with all the embarrassing conse-
quences likely to follow.
Care of the Troops.
L ne leulCdl IOrCe now on the Islands is
believed to be sufficient for ordinary pur-
poses and TO meet any demands of the frl-
| ture reinforcements are being hurried there.
The hospital ship Relief, which will sail
from New York direct for Manila by the
| Suez route in a day or two, will carry 15O
| picked men from the hospital corps and
about ten doctors will also be aboard. This
| is in addition to the regular equipment of
| the doctors and nurses of the Relief. The
| Relief will be placed at the disposal of Gen.
| Otis, either as a floating hospital or for use
| in transferring the sick and convalescent
| TO the general hospital now under way at
San Francisco.
| The Relief is loaded with ali the medical
| supplies that she can carry, though there
| has been no official call from the Philip
| pines for such supplies. The authorities
| there have full authority to obtain all the
| supplies of any character that are wanted
| wherever they can be gotten. Lieutenant
| Colonel Woodruff, deputy surgeon general,
is now en- route across the continent to
Manila for duty chief surgeon. He is
| one of the most efficient medical officers in
| the army and has had the benefit of extern
| sive army service throughout the civil war
| He has given special attention to sanitation