The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-04-05
A WAR OF MANY YEARS.
VOLUNTEER OFFICER WHO TOUR.
ED LUZON RETURNS POSTED.
Cgptain Farrell Describes the Nature
of the Strong DefenSeS of the
Insurgents. FilipinOs
Enthusiastic.

EnJhuSlaStlcs
G.P. w. FarrellH captain and assist
ant surgeon of the First California
volunteers, is in Chicago. His regi-
ment was the first to reach Manila last
June, and the captain was on the IS
land of Luzon continuously until the
last week in January, two months ago.
He had unusual opportunities to
study the conditions in the islands, as
he was selected last October to make
a tour of investigation extending from
Manila to Dagupan.
He speaks Spanish fluently, and for
that reason was chosen to carry on
many of the negotiations with Aguiu.
aldo. He has traversed the country
where the American troops are now
fighting, and speaking of that. locality
said:
"The railway line extends up the
middle of the valley along which our
troops nave been advancing. The
country in which recent operations
have taken place is very fat, and is
simply a succession of rice fields. Be-
tween this valley and the sea is a low
range of hills and on the other hand is
the coast range of mountains, perhaps
5000 or 5000 feet high. Rice fields are
small, and are separated by dikes, so
that they can be flooded. 1t is an ex-
cellent country for defensive opera
tons. The natives can use these dikes
for trenches, retreating from one to
another, and then in abandoning posi-
ton they can flood the fields and thus
hinder the advance of our men. have
not seen it mentioned in the dispatch
es, but | have no doubt that many of
these fields have been flooded"
what do you believe will be the eff
feet Of the present campaign?"
"There will be several pitched battles,
and then AguinaldO's army will be dis
persed, but the American army in the
Philippines will have to contend with
guerrilla warfare for several years to
come. The natives Will not submit.
even If the main body of the army IS
demolished and scattered. Still, | do
not think the prospect is one that
should be alarming or distressing. Our
army will have an experience IN the
Philippines which will be exceedingly
valuable, and make it all the more eff
fectIve in the future"
Glow did you happen to make a trip
through the island?'
"It was found advisable to ascertain
what the natives in the interior were
doing, and what seemed to be their at.
titude toward the Americans. The
American officers in uniform who had
attempted to traverse this part of the
country had been arrested and sent
back, SO | served as a civilian. This
was late in October. As am of Eng |
llsh birth, [ allowed the natives to be- |
Iieve that [ was an Englishman. In
addition to that, l spoke Spanish and
fOundlittle difficulty in getting along.
although was continually stopped and |
questioned. At every town the sol |
diers demanded of me pass from
Aguinaldo. The fact that his name
was mentioned everywhere gave me
some idea Of his influence in the island |
/ went the entire length of the rail |
way line from Manila to Dagupan on |!
the other coast, and everywhere Il
found the natives armlng themselves
and drilling constantly.
"The topic of conversation was the
coming fight with the Americans. |
They seemed to regard it as inevitable. |
and were not disposed to avoid it. |
Even the little boys were marching up |
and down the streets and beng drlll- |
ed, and | never saw more military en-
thusiasm in any country. OF course
the drilling was very awkward and |
the discipline was poor, but the sol !
dlers were intensely in earnest and EN-
thusiastIc everywhere, and the fact
that the new arms were being shipped |
in and distributed showed that some
well-defined policy of was being put |
into effect"