The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-07

is true, but partly because they were
ignorant of the strength of their own
position and partly because their first
instinct is to fly from cover to cover
when attacked. In this connection it
must be borne in mind that their only
education in the art of warfare was
received in the Spanish school, and the
Spaniards. like themselves, always
fought from cover when possible. The
few brushes which our troops have had
with the enemy to date have proved
conctusively that the latter will not
stand a flank attack but they are
quick to learn, and once they realize
that boiling across the open is suicidal,
under the circumstances they will prob
ably adopt the wiser course of fight
ing it out.
Big supply of Arms.
Another of the uncertainties is the
number of arms which the rebels pos
sess. That they are being supplied at
frequent intervals from some unknown
source scarcely admits of doubt but
IN what quantities cannot even be con-
jectured. Until few days ago there
was every indication that the rebels
along our whole front We're using home
made ammunition. but now smokelesS
powder is again being used. and judg-
ing from the enormous quantity of am
muntion expended every "a hours their
village captured so far thousands Of
rounds of Mauser cartridges have been
seized. but still there is no appreciable
difference in the amount expended from
day to day. 1t must also be remembers
ed that hitherto the army has been
acting in conjunction with the navy,
and that DeWeys ships have very ma
terially assisted in routing the enemy
along the shores of Manila bay. While
there is a disposition on the part of
many soldiers to belittle the work done
by the other branch of the service,
there can be no question as to the eff
feet of the Monadnock's and Charles
tons shells upon the rebel trenches,
both at Malate and Caloocan This
factor can no longer be counted upon,
once the army advances from the coast
and the rebels are fully alive to that
fact.
Unless all signs fail. then the enemy
may be expected to make better
showing from this time on, in which
event those who imagine that the cam
pa1gn will be a walkover for the in
vaders will probably find that they
underestlmated the native valor If
their foolhardy and fanatica leaders
would only see that there can be but
one outcome to a struggle with such a
nation as the United States all would
be well, but unfortunately for the Tag
alOs they deliberately shut their eyes
10 llt" lluln anu lnQSe&WTO know them
say that nothing short of eXtermina-
tion will insure peace in the Philippines.
In some respects. however, this would
be good thing for the other millions
who inhabit the archipelago. inhanan
as the suggestion may seem. That they
are the sole instigators of the rebellion
there can be no doubt and their meth
nds shdSs akRass the MSS yet of the saw
age still predorliuates. For instance,
despite their boasted intelligence and
humanitarianism, the sTagalos have fire.
quently been seen to drive their scared
allies into half-constructed earthworks
at the points of their bayonets, knowing
full well that they would be shelled
out again by the American artillery
Immediately. Again, one of their favor
ite means of decoylng their foes into
the open is that Of showing white
flag. Worse still, they have been guilty
repeatedly of the barbarism of shooting
volleys at hospital ambulances, both in
the open and while returning from the
front. Mutilation of the enemy's dead
is another evidence of their boasted
civiliZat lion. IF our troops retire for
strategic purposes, a glorious victory
is heralded all over the country, and
according to the stories related by the
natives more Americans are being
killed every day than have yet been
landed on the islands. In the matter
of eXaggeration of the enemy's loss.
however, they are not alone, for our
own forces are very prone to fall into
the same error. in fact, to hear the men
relating the execution they had done
during the day at suppertime. one
might be led to believe the country was
strewn with dead Filipinos.
Yet, with the exception of the two
big fights, the largest number of killed
in one day have been 113 most of whom
We're mown down by the Gatlngs on
the river gunboat Laguna de Bay, near
San Pedro Macati. AS matter of fact.
in nine cases out of ten. when brushes
occur our own men have no oppor-
tunity to hunt for the enemys dead
and the loss is purely matter of con-