The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-28
Comforting With AIgsr as to the Best
Method.
The General Asks for an Effective
Force Of 10000, Which Will
Ob1ige the War Department to
Secure More TroopseThe Idea Is
to Re-enlist Volunteers in the
Philippines and Give Them q
Fur1ong to Visit Home.

w ASf1INGION, June ZI.-Ihe Pres
ident upon his return to Washington
was promptly acquainted with the sit
uatiOn in the Philippines as exhibited
in General Otis statement cabled yes
terday. He was in conference for q
time with Secretary Alger respecting
the best method of carrying out Cen
eral Otis desire to maintain at least
throughout the rainy season an effec-
tive lighting force of no less than 3d.
OCO men in the island. In the General S
last estimate it is noted that he asks
for an effective force of 10000 men.
This estimate will oblige the War De-
partment to secure more troops. Cen
eral Otis sick report and his casualty
list make it evident that provision must
be made at once to supply a shortage
of about 10 per cent. in his force.
The officials are taking into consider
alton the assurance of the medical au-
thorities that no diminution to this
disability list can be expected during
the wet season, but that the conditions
may grow even worse as the season adj
vances. Many of these men will have
to be invaded home, it being demon
strated particularly in the typhoid
cases that convalescence is rare unless
the patient leaves the Philippines. Thus
the department will be under the ne
cessity of keeping up steady flow of
recruits from the United States if Gen
eral Otis desire is complied with. The
recruiting officers reports indicate an
ability on their part to supply 1000
men a week, more than sufficient, it is
believed, to meet General Otis needs
in the future while for the present the
department has assembled 5000 re-
cruits at San Francisco ready for
transportation as soon as ships can be
found
It is not known at the War Depart
ment how General Otis has succeeded
in forming three skeleton regiments
from the volunteers now in the Philip
pines who are willing to re-enlist An
impression prevails at the War De-
partment that a large proportion Of the
volunteers may be re-enlisted as soon
as some arrangements can be made
whereby the men can be allowed to
make the visit to their friends and
relatives in the United States. The
idea is to re-enlist them in the Philip
pines and give them a furlough to re-
turn to the United States. The fur
Tough would be at least for four
months, more than half of which time
would be required to make the round
trip from Manila to the United States.
The later arrivals will require a good
deal of licking into shape The original
army of occupation are not in a pleas
ant frame of mind. They are, in the
first place. perfectly willing to fight
against any civilized Power in ordinary
warfare, but they object to wasting
their lives and health upon ".niggers."
as they contemptuously cali the Fill
pinos, and they indulge in many growls
at the necessity which compels them to
be on the qui vive day and night in
order not to be caught mapping by
their cunning enemies. One feature of
the war is that although so many ma
tives have been killed, very few weap-
ons have been captured The moment
a Filipino falls there are ten others
ready to snatch up his rifle and make
off with. it, Their numerical resources
are practically inexhaustible, whereas
the Americans can only obtain fresh
men after long delays and at great
expense. 1t is remarkable fact that
although the American troops have
often remained in the trenches in a
soaking condition for days at time,
they have never caught cold.