The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-07
END is IN SIGHT.
Collapse of Filipino Rebellion Ex-
pected Within a Week.


Dected Within a Week
WASHINGTON, May 6-The officials of
the state and war departments are look
ing for speedy collapse of the insur-
rection in the Philippines Not only ia
this expectation based on the private ad-
vices from the Philippine commission as
to the negotiations but also upon the sue
cessful development of MacArthur's and
LaWtons campaigns The commission's
reports Indicate that the insurgents have
at last recognized the inevitable and are
simply striving to secure the most liberal
terms possible. They have not in any
diplomatic sense acknowledged the SOW
ereignty Of the United States, but have
recognized the physical domination of our
military forces and while they have
talked more or less of independence even
at the last moment, without doubt they
will accept readily any proposition Look
ing to a protectorate. The presidents in
structions, however, are clear on this
point and the commission understands
that 1t is to take no action In a way of
making premises that will deprive con-
gress of free hand in disposing of the
future of the Philippines.
1t is believed that an animating pur-
pose in the Filipino presentation Is to
make sure that whatever form of govern
ment is adopted will afford lucrative and
leaders. The administration sees nothing
IN this aspiration irreconcilable with a
firm government by the United States,
the opportunity for the Filipinos being
found in a liberal provision for municipal
and even provincial native government.
United States officials properly distributed
throughout the islands in supervisory ca
pacities, charged to interfere as little as
possible with local affairs, and a few gar
TlSOnS trOOna q
ported by a naval contingent, it Is
thought, will prove all that is necessary
for the effective maintenance of the
United States sovereignty. The Philip
pine commission has been instructed on
these points, and President Schurman
especially is sanguine of the commission s
ability to bring about the acceptance of
these conditions by the insurgents.
Aside from the encouragement conveyed
by the progress Of peace negotiations the
officials find bright promise In the rapid
development Of the military campaign
The press reports that Gen. Lawton is
meeting slight resistance in his move
ment northward; that the insurgents are
fleeing before him, and, more important
still, they are casting away their arms,
Indicate the approach of the end The
throwing away of arms is claimed by the
naval officers to be the result of the navy's
effort to cut off the supply of incoming
ammunition. Without ammunition there
would be no inducement to carry along
weapons. The army officers say that it
is either lack Of ammunition of a break
ing down of courage that has led the
Filipinos to abandon their rifles
Moving northward from Baliuag, Law
ton is apparently converging with his
forces upon Mount Arayat, distant about
sixteen miles, the point at the bend of
the Rio Grande, where Gen. Otis pre-
d1cted the insurgents would make their
last stand: With Macarthur moving
northward from San Fernando, the two
columns should meet before this last In
surgent stronghold within about four
days, so that even If diplomacy fails,
there is hope Of the collapse of the re-
hellion from purely military reasons in a
week or ten days.