Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-22
ECHoEs or THE WAR.

The statement is going the rounds that
General Macarthur OF the Philippines was
one OF the youngest officers to command
regiment, being only q years Of age when ne
achieved that distinction during the civil
war A correspondent OF the Washington
Post beats the record by three years lie
states that Colonel Andrew Geddes chiet
clerk Of the Department Of Agriculture, was
Lieutenant colonel OF the Eighth Iowa IN
fantry at the age OF is and was In command
OF the regiment during the battle OF VII
sons Creek. He served throughout the
civil war and was mustered out with his
regiment April 20 1866.
The views OF the governors of the states
as to the adequacy of the American forces
in the Philippines procured and published by
the New York Herald, are unit in taVor
of a largely increased force so that the
campaign may be prosecuted with such Vlgor
as to bring 1t speedily to an end. Even
those governors who disapprove of perma-
nent control of the islands suggest that'
since that policy has been adopted the
struggle should be ended by the prompt
suppression Of the insurgents, to the END
that the lives Of our soldiers be not need
lessly sacrificed.
The Manila Times, one OF the dallles pup
lshed by Americans at the Philippine capt
tai, approves the suggestion that the onlted
States should trade the islands for the
British West Indies. 1t argues that both
parties would be gamers by the trade. The
Philippine islands," says the times, are at
present a very poor bargain. They are In
a state of anarchy and the whole popula-
tion Is in such a frame of mind that there
is absolutely no telling whether they VIII
ever satisfactorily settle down again, thdt
is to say, like all races OF mercurlal tenn
perament, once they have become volcanic
there is no telling how long they VIII take
to become devolcanised. For example most
South American republics have been CEN
tury or more running their own govern
ments and are even now little better than
so many snarling, quarreling packs of curs'
with revolutions every few months. Inc
taste for rebelling is depraving taste ana
very difficult to eliminate once a people
has contracted the habit. 1t is worse than
alcohol, opium and 'hasheesh habits all
rolled into one. France, after a century
of indulgence is even now the most unstable
country in all Europe. The Filipinos may
rank superior to the European races, but
even their superiority will probably not save
them from the dangerous tendency to politl-
cal instability. Moreover, the growth of the
country is stunted. The parallel figures
which we have given show that, in spite OF
their magnificent resources in the fertility
of the soil and the treasures OF nature
hidden beneath the soil, they have less trade
and raise less revenue than the little barren
rocks and coral reefs in the western At
lantic."
Six vessels Of the auxiliary fleet pur-
chased by the government for $S44 ,269 at the
outbreak of the war have undergone a
shrinkage in value as painful as real estate
boom The appraised value of the six at
present is $270,000, and the government
offers them for sale at that sum. This
represents loss of s574,269. If the ratio
holds good with the remaining eighty four
vessels OF the purchased fleet, it Will be an
easy matter to determine the vast sums
ship owners made out Of the nations trials.
Lieutenant Charles Crawford of the
Twenty-frst infantry left San Francisco with
his regiment about three weeks ago, bound
for the Philippines. 1t is quite possible TINT
he will be assigned to General Funston
brigade 1t was this same Crawford who,
in a competitive examination about four
teen years ago for cadetship beat run
ston and won the appointment. Crawford
went through the military academy and was
breveted captain for gallant conduct under
fire during the Santiago campaign