Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-06
OUR FLAG IN PHILIPPINES.
General Merritts Estimate Of the
Force Needed TO Hold the
Archipelago.
JAcKPLANE.

pines ought TO be about 10000 men, "
II IL Intended to subiugatc the Islands
and establish an effective military gov
eminent over them. II will be nccss-
sary. OF course. TO garrison the different
islands hut In the course Of a little
time we eau absorb the native troops
into our army. so that one-thlrd OF the
force named-aay 10000 " our men to
2O.000 Of the Fllipinos or natives
would make quite a sufficient army
there. This " the policy successfully
pursued by England In India. ana IN
an her colonial Possessions. Tho sirdnr
Kitchener. In his advance on Omdur-
man, took all his prisoners and put
them In his ranks. and they made as
good soldiers as any natives he had.
The question M TO whst cnect the
South sca tropical climate will have
upon American soldiers fresh from our
temperate or wintry zones " Import
ant. but not necessarily alarming. MY
own observation In the Philippines was.
that ~ long as our men took care OF
themselves and followed the inHtruc-
lions given them In regard TO clothing.
food and exposure 10 the monday sun
or the night air, they were remarkably
healthy. We had very little sickness.
There arc no epidemic fcvrrr-luch as
yellow fcvcr-in Manila. nnd the .cli-
mate " cooler than that Of iIopgknng
or the adjacent portions Of china. Per-
sonally. ! had not days sickness. and
everybody I knew who took care Of
himself got along very we'll. such IL
conspicuously the ease with Admiral
Dewey. and on his fleet. sick men there
are almost as scarce ms Killed or
wounded. OF course. In the navy they
have the advantage 81 living indoors
and carrying their houses with them.
a.
For two weeks General Greene and his
brigade were In the trenches up TO their
middica In water the greater part OF the
,ime-that n. while on picket duty.
llut tn offset these hardshipa our
troops In the Philippines Mere well sup
piled. | heard no complaint OF the COM
mls-ary supplies. and. moreover. by
great prufuaion In that vpuntfy. the
men made themselves cots. raised above
the .yruund-an important prccnution
insisted upon by the doctora--and In
that way escaped much discomfort and
sickness. After the fall of Manila.
when the reaction had set ~. there was
rather a lower average OF hcalth-pcr.
hhpa the mon became less careful %
themselves Yet while I was In Manila
up to experimentation was very 1T
tie slckneAa-not a greater percentage
than would be- found among the same
number ~ men anywhere.
From the accounts q the recent
operations around Manila February
ath to isth-it appears that every
thing II proceeding very satisfactorily
there. our taking the watrr works.
and holding them. II In itself a very
important matter because the dry sea-
son n now on. ana N they
were cut on from their water
supply I am afraid the health
of our troops would uffcr great
~. A. II n. the water supply Of Manila
~ exceptionally goOd-bcttcr. IN fact.
than In most cities u Europe. This
superior and abundant water supply
was provided by q private bencfactor
aud not by the wisdom or llbcrniity %
N. spanish colonial government. II Ia
drawn from the river Marisuina, or
San Mntco. which Joins the Paslg a lit
Tie below the lake. There II pumping
station at the river, ana a reservoir be-
yond the heights ~ Santa Mesa and
Han Juan del Monte, between which
the equoduct makes Its way down TO
the city.
In brief. from what experience and
knowledge have, | am Inclined 10 DO
rs optimistic ms ever regarding our
fins In the Philippines. I think the
present excitement and occupation u
the troops Il a very good thing, and
keeps them from becoming homcsiok.
NlA'f lfNif WIS fNiAulNNflt ANl " APP
psarud nothing more was 90 be- done.
a good many OF the men wanted To
come home, OF course, those who want
cd to come home were louder In their
clainora than those who were willing
or desired 10 stay. have noticed that
a great many OF the regulars IN this
country have asked 20 Join the r-ul-
nents ordered 10 Manila. "a being
particularly desirable service. rhat Ia
itself IN a good sign. ~ II an indication
that We may become very good coll
oniHta after a little experience. and We
have the advantage Of some very use.
ful object lessons IN what the English
have accomplished. ana are now at. II
IN difficult 90 sympnthlxc with those
who forcacc inauporuhle obstacles IN the
way u our establishing a military gov.
eminent on the lines already laid
down.
Regarding the iflilplnoH themselves, I
think they are only 10 be really linz
pressed by force. our dclibefation In
making n demonstration of power ana
authority was what made them 50
"cocky." They had an idea that our
delay resulted from doubt or timidity.
The eject therefore. of our recent
victories will be probably 10 suppress
the Instruction altogether, II II not
likely. after this decisive blow. that
thore can be another attack In force