Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-01
SOON TO COME HOME
Three Volunteer Regiments to Leave
Manila Within a Week.
FUNSTON WILL Be AMONG THEM
Young General Discusses the Sit
uation in the Islands.
NEED OF CAV A L r Y

MANILA, September 1.-Of the troops
about to return to the United States the
Kansas men will leave on board the trans
port Tartar. the Washington regiment on
board the Pennsylvania and the Nevada
cavalry on the Ohio. All three departures
will occur within the next week. Eight
hundred men of the Kansas regiment will
return and 200 will remain at Manila, $50
of them re-enisting. Three officers and
thirty men of the Kansans were killed and
nineteen officers and men died from dis
ease during the smallpox epidemic, while
I'D members of the regiment were
wounded.
OF the Washingtons S75 men are embark
ing, while eight officers and 20S men
will stay, most of those remaining re-en-
listing in the new regiments being formed
here. One of the officers of the regiment
was killed. one wounded and one died
from disease; twenty-four of the men were
killed, Us were wounded and nine died.
Funston Coming Home.
Gen. Frederick Funston and MIS-. Funston
are with the generals regiment. Gen.
Funston has undergone an operation neces-
itated by an injury resulting from fall
from his horse while serving in the Cuban
army with Gen. Gomez.
In the course of an interview Gen. Funs-
ton remarked that he would not mind stay
ing in LuZon. He disliked war but mas
much there is fighting he would like to
remain and aid in bringing it to a close.
Speaking of the future. he said
The only solution of the problem will be
through whipping the insurgents. I do not
think they will surrender. When we begin
active operations against them a large
scale in the autumn we will scatter them
into small bands, and / think when the
soldiers composing these bands see that
they are persistently pursued they will
throw away or hide their arms and return
to the pursuits of peace. year hence
small bodies of armed men will be able to
go anywhere in LuZon. The island was
always infested with bandits and was
never safe for Europeans to travel in
Probably after the end of the fighting the
highwaymen will be more numerous be-
cause the members of Aguinaldo's army
who have lived for years with guns in their
hands, have acquired a taste for bush life
and would rather continue as highwaymen
then return to work.
The Need of Cavalry.
Cavalry is greatly needed here The
country, when dry, is superb for cavalry
operations. The insurgents have none One
OF their strong points is their ability to
retreat rapidly. Cavalry could overtake
and hopelessly scatter and punish them,
and could subsist largely on the country
When cavalry is once here it should be
SiNci q SiIdHCe 10 go dnedu ana not be
Kept in towns for guard duty. Our great
est successes have been gained when the
reglmental commanders have been allowed
to quickly follow up the advantages gain
ed in battle. Small bodies of Americans
operating freely and commanded by Off
GERS of dash and energy, could badly break
up the enemy. The capture of Aguinaldo
by cavalry would be less difficult propo-
sitlon than the capture of the Apache
Chiefs in Arizona
Reports About Gen. Otis Health.
No Information has been received at the
War Department to indicate that Gen
Cts is i'll, and consequently all the officers
coming by way of Victoria b. c. Accord
Ing TO press dispatch from that city Mr.
T.. Il. Holmes of Chicago, who has lust ar
rived there on a steamer from tho Philip
pines. is quoted as saying that Gen. Otis
health has become seriously affected by
the difficulties and anXieties of the cam
Haign and the severe criticisms to which
he has been subjected by some of the home
newspapers. 1t is represented that Gen.
Otls has become a victim to melaucholia
and insomnia, and is in a critical condi-
tion. There is nothing in the Official ad-
wees to the War Department. however to
Justify these alarming statements as to
Gen. Otis physical condition, and so far
as is known here, Gen Otis is in his usual
good health.
Gen. Greeley. chief signal officer received
cable message from Manila today, say
ing that the 18th Volunteer Signal Corps
Company sailed for home on the City of
Para yesterday, and that the 18th Com
pany would sail on the Newport on Sep
tenber D These last the only volun-
tEer signal corDS soldiers IN be pbilipp{pas