The Topeka state journal., 1899-05-29

have never met reverse and they call ,
for United States protection. =
Have turned over to navy for use on
coast southern islands number of pur-
chased Spanish gunboatS, from which
excellent results expected.
A LONG WAR AHEAD.
Washington. May 2s.-The civilian
members of the Philippine commission
President Jacob Schurman, Dean G.
Worcester and James H. Denby-prob-
ably will be recalled to the United
States very soon.
1t is manifest that the commission
will not be able to accomplish much of
Importance during the rainy season,
and the opinion is officially expressed
that the object sought to be attained
when the commission was sent to Ma
nila cannot now be accomplished.
Congressman George Steele, the Re
publican leader of the Indiana delega-
ton, called on the president and talked
plainly to him about the attitude of the
people of the state toward the admins
tration's policy in the islands.
Mr.. Steele explained to the executive
that the people were tired of procras-
tinating methods of treatment. and did
not take kindly to the idea of expan-
sion.
They did not approve of the plan
which had the American soldiers in Lu-
Zon fighting battles one day and then
resting on their arms the next, while
fruitless peace negotiations were pro-
crossing.
They want the war ended quickly, he
told the president.
The president told Mr. Steele that he
appreciated the desire of the people to
have the war terminate, and informed
him that the administration was doing
all it could to bring the Filipinos to
terms.
President Mckinley said that the
volunteers had been kept in Luzon till
now because it was the desire of the
president that the men who had borne
the brunt of the fighting should re-
ceive the glory of having Vanquished
the insurgents, but as this was now i'm
possible they would be brought home
The president expects a long guerrilla
war.
OTIS UNPOPULAR.
Washington. May 29.-Eight discharg-
ed Montana soldiers who served in the
Philippine campaign are in the city.
Three of them are in the hands of
physicians, one being hopelessly insane.
These men relate some incidents in
connection with the war that have not
been published.
They say that General Otis issued an
order prohibiting any discharged SOL
diers from engaging in business during
their stay in the islands. AS a result,
they assert, a number of Americans
who were dishonorably discharged for
themselves stripped of all means of
support and unable to return to their
homes, Joined the insurgent army and
were among the most stubborn fighters
IT,
occasionally appear on the picket line
of their former comrades at night and
exchange threats, but as a general
thing they were made a target for
American sharDshOoters and quite a
number of them were killed. But moth
ing was said about it publicly.
General Otis finally offered them re-
turn passage home, and good many
left the insurgents to go back to the
United States.
In consequence of this and other or
ders, ire Montana men declare, Cen
eral Otis is not popular with the troops.
Many of the men in the western regi-
ments in the Philippines are Germans,
and they are sore over the talk of a
British alliance.
The men now here corroborate the re-
port of the terrible losses of the Fill
pinos. They say the slaughter was
frightful, the natives firing at random
heads when pulling the trigger, they
remaining in the trenches until the
Americans were fairly upon them and
then run.
NO MORE QUARTER.
New York, May PA letter received
in Paterson N. J.. from Alexander Gull
ross, now in the Fourth infantry, lin the
Philippines, tells of tortures inflicted
upon captured Americans by the Fill
pinOs.
Two of our men," says Culross,
''strayed from the camp yesterday and
did not return. Today we found them
slashed in the form of a cross, the
skulls being split. The tongues and
hearts of the men had been cut out and
their legs hacked to pieces. The boys of
the Fourth infantry have resolved to
give no quarter hereafter, for they have
reached the conclusion that every
one else will soon reach that
the only good Filipino is a dead Filipino.
They can not fight in the open but steal
on us at night and pick off our men.
They seem to be better shots at night