The record-union., 1899-11-07

men, Generals LaWtOn, Macarthur and
Wheaton are now closing in on Agufn-
aldo's army. General Otis set Novem-
Der 9th and 9th as the dates for com
mencing the campaign "all along the
line" and the War Department has In
formation to-day that the program is
being carried out.
General Otis dispatches are optimis-
tic in the highest degree, and the off,
Gals are predicting that the rebellion
will be crushed before the end of the
present month, and that important vic
tories will be announced within a few
days.
The military situation was thus an
alyzed to-day by an official familiar
with General Otis plan OF operation,
as reported to the War Department:
"Aguinaldo, with his army greatly re-
duced as the result of recent disintegra-
tions, is at Bayambang, twenty miles
north of Tarlac, which was his head
quarters and the objective of Lawtons
and MacArthur's armies up to a fort
night ago.
General Macarthur moves along the
railroad to Bayambang, taking the
others as he goes along. General Law
ton moves northward from Colantuan
as his base, and, with columns swerv-
ing to the right and left, to sweep the
country to the Rio Agno River, and to
head off Aguinaldo's retreat to the
mountains through Rio Agno Valley.
At last accounts detachments from his
command had taken Aliaga, west of his
base, Talavera being to the north and
Bayambang to the northwest.
General Wheaton moves southwark
from Dagupan to Bayambang. His
movements UP to this time have been
kept from the public, but now that
the campaign IS in progress I am at
liberty to mention that he headed an
expedition sent out on transports for
the Gulf of Lingayen last week The
navy's task was to shell the towns on
the southern part of the gulf so as to
effect the safe landing of his expedi-
ton
Unless Aguinaldo has escaped to the
eastward through the Rio Agno Valley,
he ought to be caught between General
'Wheaton's forces from the north and
General MacArthur's from the south
within the next forty-eight hours. as
Bayambang. where he is supposed to
be located, is less than twenty miles
from Dagupan and about forty miles
from Angeles.
Although General MaeArthur,s main
forces were at Angeles at last accounts.
it is believed that one OF his columns
has reached and taken Tarlac before
this, that the railroad to that point
Is now in control Of the American
forces and that it is only a question
of a few days whep his command will
reach Beyembang.
From the plan of campaign mapped
out Aguinaldo's only possible means Of
escape would be to the eastward
through the Rio Agno Valley into the
mountains, as the forces under Cen
erals Lawton and Macarthur moving
northward are keeping scouts well out
to the front. so as to prevent the enemy
from escaping southwark"
1t seems to have been figured out by
the authorities that Aguinaldo would
not attempt to cross the mountains to
the northeastward, because when he
got on the other side he would be quite
as hostile to the Tagalos as the Amer
lean troops. The northern part of the
island of Luzon is cut off from the CEN
trail by high ranges of mountains. The
other side is peopled by mixed races
Malay, Chinese and Negrito. 1t is said
they are friendly to the United States
and particularly bitter against the
Taga1os.
The War Department has not been
advised as to the exact number OF
troops now engaged under Generals
Lawton, Macarthur and Wheaton, but
1t is estimated that of the 1900 which
General Otis reported he had yesterday
at least 10000 are engaged in the cam
paign north of Manila According to
recent dispatches from General Otis.
there has been a general scattering of
Aguinaldo's forces, and one report
stated that he did not have more than
300 men with him at Bayambang.
General Otis expressed the opinion
that the disintegration of Aguinaldo's
men meant that they were getting tired
OF the war, and predicted the surrender
of large number of bands in a short
time. Some of the military experts
fear General Otis is over-sanguine ON
this point, and that the DISSATISFACTION
may mean the beginning of prolonged
q1lerri1Ia uo rfaro