The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-25
VIEWS OF GEN. OTIS.


VIEWS OF GEN. OTIS.
| Gen. Otis said today in regard to the
| Filipino offer to release certain American
| prisoners that he believed 1t was in
! tended as a bluff to play on the SYM
pathy Of foreigners.
Gen. Otis has released Filipino prisoners
of war right along-in fact, he has set
over 1000 of these people at liberty
already.
About the state of affairs In the Philip
pines In general Gen. Otis said:
Things are going along in very sat
isfactory manner. Our own forces are
| in good condition. We have plenty Of
commissary supplies here or on the way
We also have all the transportation facil-
| tiles necessary either here or on tho
way. When the weather conditions per-
nit we shall be ready to make an active
| campaign.
'The insurgents are having hard time
holding their forces together. They have
no commissariat and no voluntary sup
port from their own people.
AMERICAN PROTECTION.
Reports are constantly coming to me
from all parts of the island showing
dissension, decentralization and disintegra-
tion among their troops, and the dissatis-
faction of the people with the insurrec-
tionary government.
Letters come to me daily from persons
of education and intelligence, men Of
property and prominence among the
Filipinos, asking me to send troops to
protect them from our army They
call their army of liberation nothing
but bands of robbers and cut-throats.
The southern and northern provinces
have repeatedly begged protection from
me. I have replied to these people:
What's the matter with independence?
Go back and enjoy it a while longer
The question is whether, after all, it
would be wise to hasten the ending Of the
insurrection. With the exception Of a
few robbers and adventurers, these peo-
pie grow sicker and more disgusted with
independence every day they have it.
Even the leaders Of the insurgents
are trying to get away. Several officers
have come to Manila; others have sent
their families here. Pedro Palermo. the
former president Of the Filipino cabinet
has his entire family, numbering about
fifty persons, here. Others have asked
for the same privilege.
DESIRE FOR FREEDOM.
Sometimes I reply to such requests that
the applicants should make the most Of
independence while they have 1t. 1 be-
lieve that if the insurrection Is not ended
too soon the Filipinos will be so heartily
sick Of independence that there will never
be any more trouble on that score.
Independence was a craze with these
people. They did not understand what 1t
meant, but their worship of the idol
amounted almost to fanaticism Now that
they really know what Independence
means 1t is the best object lesson they
ever had, and 1t will not be necessary to
continue 1t much longer forever to settle
the question.
at is not surprising that the Filipinos
thought they could whip the Americans.
They defeated the Spanish under Gen.
Jaramillo at Zapote and they licked Gen.
Rios at Novaleto, when they were armed
only with bolos. They expected to repeat
this performance with US.
"Aguinaldo had eight months in which
to organize his campaign. He accom-
plished a great deal in that time: He
sent his Tagals to every island of any
size and Importance throughout the ar
chipelago and got his government oper-
ating so thoroughly that the people can
not misunderstood what such self-govern-
ment means"