The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-07
THE NEW BROOM
In the War Department in Good
Working Order.

Washington, Aug. PLANS for the
resumption of military operations in the
Philippines will be made this week at a
conference which Secretary Root and
Adjutant General Corbin viii hold with
the President at Lake Champlain, where
Mr. Mckinley is spending his vacation.
The understanding in Washington is
that at this conference arrangements
for a campaign which will speedily ter
inmate the insurrectiOn will be adopted.
Secretary Root proposes to take an
active part in the preparations for hos
tilities in the Philippines after the rainy
season, and already is planning the out
lines of a campaign. 1t is Mr.. Roots
belief that so. 900 men will be necessary.
His ideas upon this subject have been
formed since he came to Washington
and assumed control Of the war depart
ment. They are based upon the Sug-
geStiOn of those who have a more
familiar knowledge of the condition of
affairs about Manila and with whom he
has consulted. Mr.. Root has gone to
New York and he will visit the presi-
dent. The object of the trip is to talk
over with Mr. Mckinley the results of
the new secretary's observations and to
discuss Filipino affairs with the execu-
tive They will be joined by Adjutant
General Corbin.
1t is said at the war department that
Mr.. Root, will recommend an effective
fighting force of $4,000 men for the
Philippines and that plans for supplying
the commanding general there with that
additional number of troops Will be
adopted at once. A force of about 40OOO
men has already been provided and if
the new secretary's recommendation is
carried out it will be necessary to send
several regiments of regular troops as
the president has apparently no 1nten-
ton of calling for more volunteers at
this time. General LaWtOn, 1t is under
stood, Is anxious for more cavalry
troops, and this request will probably
be complied with. General Otis is or
ganizing one additional regiment to be
Fourth cavalry is now in the Philippines
and eight troops of the Third are also
under orders to go. The Sixth cavalry
at Fort Riley, Kan. will doubtless be
among any additional regiments ordered
to reinforce General Otis.
The work of getting the regulars to
Manila and of raising and equipping the
volunteer regiments has been well done
and is in as forward a state as could
have been expected, so that the presi-
dent has expressed satisfaction with it.
At the same time, before leaving Wash
ingtOn he stated that he was anxious
that the troops reach Manila at the
earliest possible date and in the best
condition. AS the voyage from San
Francisco to Manila takes practically a
month, it is necessary that the last of
the volunteers should leave by the mid
die of October in order to be in LuZOn
by the middle of November, when it
is hoped the rainy season may be suf-
ficiently gone to permit operations to be
Secretary Root has acquired a vast
quantity of information and a great
deal of this has been put in statistical
form and was carried away by him
when he left Washington. 1t doubtless
will be produced for reference in the
conferences which he is to have with the
president.
Secretary Roots Investigations have
convinced the officials that an eventful
campaign is ahead in the Philippines
and that the secretary is getting ready