The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-28
PROGRESS OF
ADVANCE UPON
THE FILIPINOS
Satisfactory Reports Received at
Washington as to American
Operations.
Call Headquarters, Wellington Hotel,
VVo ebi11+O, ATorob 81


Washington, March q.
The third day of fighting north of
Manila brought little of a decisive char
acter from which War Department Off
Gals could judge what the final out
come of this movement would be. In
all official quarters the most intense in
terest prevailed. but there was no excite
ment and none of that anxiety and ten
sion shown during the memorable days
Of last summer, when the decisive
blows were being struck at Santiago.
Early in the day General Otis cab1ed
the War Department brief but COM
prehensive dispatch summing up the
situation. 1t disclosed that severe fight
ing was going on to-day with our forces
advanced as far north as Mariloa, while
| the insurgents, under the command of
| Aguinaldo, were being driven back with
considerable slaughter. This and the
press dispatches satisfied the officials
that the strategy movement of entrap-
ping the insurgents between our lines
had not proved as successful as de-
| signed, and that the move had now
| shifted to a retreat by Aguinaldo's
forces and pursuit by our troops. The
insurgent retreat toward MalolOs was
slow and logged and advantage was
taken of one after another of lines of
intrenchments, the burning of bridges
and the interrupting of communication.
General Otis dispatch, although re-
| ceived early to-day. was sent Monday
evening, Manila time, and summed up
the work of the three days. The fight
ing would proceed into the fourth day
was shown by his closing sentence:
THE column will press on in the morn
ing" This refers to Tuesday.
The engagement has now shaped
itself so that it is looked upon as more
of a chase than the execution of a
strategic movement. With the Ameri-
can base advanced to Mariloa and the
| insurgent base forced back to MalOlOs
the main bodies of the two opposing
forces are about ten or twelve miles
apart. This could be quickly covered
| in forced march under fair conditions,
but it is twelve miles of innumerable
difficulties and obstacles, which our
troops must cover before they reach the
insurgents stronghold.
It is expected that the engineers with
Macarthur are hastily repairing the
burned bridges. This will permit the
artillery to be taken forward as well
as the infantry columns. 1t is expected
that every mile of the distance to Ma
loIos will be contested by the insur-
gents, for General Otis reports that it
is stretch of country covered with
the intrenchments thrown up during
the last three months. Our men, there
fore, must advance slowly, repairing
the roads as they go and at the same
time they must fight their way through
well-made rebel intrenchments. Seri-
Gus as the work is there is no lack of
confidence among officials here as to
the satisfactory outcome of the cam
paign.
Malolos is the insurgent capital,
where the assembly has been sitting
and the insurgent government has been
in operation. 1t represents more to
the insurgents than any other place
| in the Philippines and little doubt is
entertained that they will make des-
perate stand there. The tactics of
Aguinaldo are taking him gradually
beyond the range of Admiral Dewey's
guns. While the insurgents were at
Malabon on Saturday, they were within
a mile of the water front and easily
within range of the fleet. But as they
have moved northward they have grad
about seven miles back from the bay,
although there are shallow estuaries
which would permit Hght-draught
boats to get within a mile or two
With to-day the fighting has lasted
seventy-two hours. Judged by the
standards of great battles, such as
Waterloo, Plevna and others men
toned by army authorities, this is a
long and intensely arduous engage
ment But the fighting at Manila is
quite different from the standards of
civilized armies as it is a running
brush conflict with only occasional is
sues between organized bodies of
troops Some of the battles of the Civil
War lasted many days, notably the
battle of the Wilderness and the fight
ing about Richmond.
In speaking of the element of endur
ance, General Ste~nberg said to-day
that he had gone for seven days in the
continuous fighting around Richmond
without renewing the supplies origin
ally issued before the fighting began.
The main question in these long-con-