The Red Cloud chief., 1899-07-07
THE ADM DEMONSTRATIONS VIEW.
rostrnsster- Gsnorai smith Talk, OF tbs
Trials In the Manila Campaign.

rostinaster- Gsnora smith Talks OF the
Trials In the Manila Campsigu.
NEW YORK. July 3 In an interview
ca the Philippine situation, Postmas-
ter-General Charles Emory Smith
said: THE situation in the Philip.
pines Is the most important and alb
sorbing public question just at pres
ent. am well aware that there Is
some restlessness on the matter, aud
in some quarters no little !mpaticnce.
There is n notion that the admiuistra-
ton should have called for and sent
forward nor troops. But those
who make this criticism do not
know that the administration has
recruited nearly 1000 men a week
right along since Congress adjourned
March 4. They do not know that
with these recruits and with the re.
enlistments a force Of nearly 10000
men has been raised within that time.
They do not know hat the army bill
which passed March /; practically com.
PEELED the reorganization Of a new
army nearly a fourth as large as that
which was raised for tho Spanish war.
They do not know that under the law
authorizing tho creation of the army
for the Spanish war all the regulars
above 81, 900, as we'll as all the volun-
teers, had to be mustered out at the
ratification of the peace treaty and
that while the new army bill provides
for n force OF 5000 men the whole
number above $1,000 had to be raised
afresh.
"On the ratification OF peace with
Spain the Presidents problem was to
reconstruct the army up to the max
imum numbar of regulars permitted,
that Is $1,000 men. lie began that
work Immediately.
About 40, 900 men have now been
added to the force and Of the tecruits
fully 20 per cen were in the service
during the Spanish war. This fact
signifies two things First, that those
who served had no terrors from what
they had gone through aud were
the force thus recruited was Injured to
the service and able to stand it's hard
ships.
ut might have been possible to call
for volunteers, to have a rush, to have
put them into camp, to have had the
hurry and tho possibilities Of mistake
which came with the sharp action ut
the beginning of the Spanish war; but
even IL this had been done troops
could not actually have been sent to
the Philippines faster than they have
been sem and they would not have
been anything like as effective.
within " weeks 5000 additional
mon will DO in the Philippines or on
their way and by August /, before the
close OF the rainy eason there will
be 35, 200 or more regulars at the dis
posal of Otis and with this force he
will certainly be able to cope with
tho situation. IL there should be
need for more by September they will
be there.
General Otis has ma naged affairs
in the Philippines with skill and
judgment. He has never indicat ed a
belief that he needed more than 80, 600
effective troops.
There is no trouble in the Philip
pines outside of the island of Luzon.
Aggressive fighting is now restricted
for about three months because of the
rainy season., but as soon as aggres.
sive operations can be resumed short
work will be made Of the conflict.
without Understanding the diff.
ficulties, 1t may be accepted hat our
government will be equal to the de-
mands of the situation. 1t may also
DO accepted that II 40 additional
forco should prove to be trequiyed
there would be no hesitation in using
it. Tho Philippines are not our ene-
mics. Ono tribe only out OF many Il
in revolt. What should b, done In
tao Philippines when this rebellion Of
q single tribe Is subdued is a question
Oh which l ought not to speak. Ths
faal determination Of the policy rests
with Congress.