The record-union., 1899-05-28
FILIPINO JOURNALISM LAS SHE
IS"

1t is. said that every war, however
horrid, has its amusing side. It is true
of the war in the Luzon. The Filipinos
have newspapers, and these papers
have editors and correspondents who
can discount the most lurid journal
ists'' of the yellow stripe of our own
land. The way these labor to misin-
form their readers and keep thet Agui-
naIdoites'. courage up is something un-
paralleled in the, history of journalism
One of these papers is the ''Republica
Filipina." Another is the "Inde-
pendencia," and still another is the
"Heraldo." One of these, by the way,
has been throttled lately by our mill
tary authorities for seditious publica-
ton and for carrying yellow journalism
to the extreme.
That the editors of the Republics"
can give the American sensationalist in
journalism. any amount Of odds and
outdo him is evidenced by this account
of battle at Navotas March 1th. The
excuse fol, printing it SO fully is found
in the interest and amusement its read
ing will create:
The Yanquis CYankee9 landed from
their wsarships and began to fortify
themselves under cover of the pirate
chief Dewey's guns. The swashbuck-
lers vaingloriously proceeded to faunt
their gaudily variegated flag, but the
sight of this going up on Flagstaff was
the signal for our gallant Warrlor-pa
triots to dash down upon the invaders
with uncomfortable fury. and soon the
whole Tanqui force was in preelpltate
flight Their Generalization was COM
plete, and in their headlong stampede
they abandoned large quantities OF war
mate rial. Our men continued in pur-
suit of the fugitives right down to the
seaIbeach, where the enemy tumbled
into boats and pushed off in desperate
hs ste. Their wounded were in hor-
r5fying plight, for the stampede was SO
fcomplete that everything was IN the
dire confusion of a Sinfully selnsh
"sauve qui peut-" Not man of all the
miserable crowd ever gave single
thought to anything except his over
whelming anxiety to save his own SKIN,
nor could they spare even a single
glance of pity for the unhappy wretches
who. grievously wounded and poWerless
TO lift themselves aboard the boats, ap-
pealed unssyailingly for compassion, and
despairingly threw themselves into the
water by hundreds, sinking immedi-
ately, never to appear again on the sur
face. Drowned like ratsl horrible
spectacle, which moved the hearts of
even the stoutest-hearted among the
conquerers and constrained them to
tears! 1t was a terribly severe punish
Inent for the Americans, though even
then it was inadequate, in view of the
innumerable acts Of unmitigated saw
agery committed everywhere by an
enemy without a single idea of moral
ity.
Fifteen breeeh-loading rifles and
heaps of ammunition were captured, be-
sides much personal property, of such a
nature as to indicate the existence of
deep-rooted habits of luxurious living,
totally Incompatible with the stern bus
ress of soldering, especially in a
tropial land
No doubt insurgent Filipinos read the
following about our California boys in
the columns Of "Republica,' and swal-
lowed every word as solemn truth. 1t
is rough on the lads in blue now home
ward bound, but it is too unique as a
specimen of lying to be lost to the
American readers:
The California volunteer regiment,
which has always been as distinguished
for its annexationist sentiments as for
it's truculent behavior, at the last mo-
ment refused point blank TO go into the
field of battle against the valiant Fill
pinos, and the Cabecilla (petty chief
Otis found himself under the painful
necessity of putting the whole gang in
to Bilibid Jail. These instances of utter
decentralization are constantly on the in
crease. The motives are. not always
the same, but there runs through all of
them a wholesome fear of having to
tackle an implacable foe, together with
a knowledge that there is no hope of
mercy for them after the ,hideous crimes
they have ,perpetrated.
1t will be recalled that Major General
MacArthur's division captured Caloo-
can, drove out every insurgent, occu-
pied the, place as Division Headquarters
and for a long time madesit the base of
operations against Malolos, until 1t be-