The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-13


This is the opinion OF BrigaC
home of his wife in East Oakland
The situation In the isIAnds." ~
said. has reached a stage where it is
vwy easy to cope with 1t. There must
BE- no temporizing no wasted sympathy
Cd no fooliGh sentiment It must be a
ease of Fight The F1lpinos are now in
such frame OF mind that they will
not yield until they are thoroughly
thrashed and convinced that 1t is use
less TO oppose America
Il do not say this unadvisedly.
have given the matter many month
OF deep study and my knowledge of
Spanish enabled me TO converse free
~ With the officers and prisoners on
the rebel side
we arrived az Manila last December.
which was two months before hostili-
ties began. During these two months
the officers OF the FIllpinos frequently
came within our lines and I discussed
with them every phase Of the situa-
tlon. They were very high minded
and gave me the opinion that they
were able to look after themselves and
that It was very well for the Ameri-
can 10 deliver them from the persecu-
tions Of Spain. but that having been
performed we should be satisfied and
let them alone.
''The best among them are the ig-
norant Occasionally found a smat-
tering Of education. But they are alb
solutely an ignorant race and quite
incapable OF self government.
Il am convinced that the best way
to govern the islands is to give them
a firm, stiff-necked colonial govern
ment more on the same lines as the
government Of colonies Of Great Brit
ain. There should be a governor gen
eral who should have absolute power
over the local government and a'so he
command Of the United States troops
and any native troops that It may be
considered judicious to organize
This may seem strange, but I am
convinced that as soon as the rebellion
is crushed there viii be an entire
change Of heart among a large percent
age Of natives and they will b. quite
willing to carry arms under American
officers.
With the $4,000 men now down there
and the additional 25.OOO that will be
on the ground when the November
campaign opens. there will be ample
soldiery to walk through the islands.
Sixty thousand troops will teach the
Filipinos the lesson they deserve But
1t must not be a campaign Of temporiz-
ing. It must be aggressive and per
slstent from the start. There must be
no let up and no opportunity must be !
given the rebels once routed to recover.
The Filipinos are no match for
Americans on the battlefield. In one in /.
stance, at Caloocan, where the Kansas
troops We're engaged, we lost two men,
while personally counted 112 dead Fill |
ipinos. This is, of course, not a fair
comparison, but the Americans are GER
tainly as much superior under arms
than Filipinos as six to one.
THE seat Of all the trouble at this
time is the Filipino junta at Hong
Kong. This pernicious little body is
Keeping the war alive. It is in commu-
nlcation with the insurgents, and sup
plies Aguinaldo's army with the hopes
from which it lives. 1t sends out re-
ports of fearful disasters to our troops
that never occur. It imagines all man
ner OF friendly feeling the world over
toward the Filipinos. It assures them
Of ell kinds of outside support without
foundation. and in this manner keeps