The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-17
SITUATION IS SERIOUS
Reassuring Reports Have Been
Doctored.
HOSPITALS ARE CROWDED
More Sick Soldiers Than the Doctors
Can Care for-Otis Has Grossly
Mismanaged the Philip
pine Campaign.

fairs in Manila:
What is the true situation in Manila?
1t is said to be alarming, notwithstand-
ing the Measuring" official reports
made public No transport has return
ed from the Philippines for months that
its arrival has not been followed by dis
quieting runiors. There are more sick
and wounded, it is said, than there is
room in the hospitals or doctors to care
for; there is more country to be guard
ed than can be safely taken care of by
the troops in the islands; and, stronger
than all and more vital grows the be-
lief that it is absolutely impossible to
subdue the Filipinos with the troops
now under General Otis. Their num-
bers are inadequate and their end, it is
maintained, will be death in ambush or
from disease.
with the return of the Oregon volun-
teers these alarming rumors have been
renewed so strongly that there is no
longer much doubt that they are based
on actual conditions as they exist in
the philippines. For we'll known rea-
sons 1t is impossible to get any Of the
returning army officers to stand spon-
sor over his name for a statement of
the situation.
Wait till We're mustered out" sew
eral of them said yesterday, then we
may be able to tell something While
We're In the army it would not do
The manner of the officers in deliver
ing themselves of this refusal was suf-
ficient to indicate that they could say
things II they would and that they
would once they returned to private
life. One man, however. has been
found who knows the. conditions. His
truthfulness cannot be questioned. He
gives an insight into affairs in the Phil
ippines that does not fit with there
assuring" official reports. For the rea-
son that he still wears the uniform of
an officer of the army of Uncle Sam
he will not allow the use of his name.
In an interview yesterday with re-
porter for the Call, he said that the
Filipinos, in some way, gained the i'm
preston from Admiral Dewey that he
had come there to give them their free
dom. ..-s
Following Dewey" continued the Of
ficer, came Anderson. He treated
Aguinaldo as head of republican form
of government; also gave him the i'm
| preston that he had but one object
here, viz, to drive out the Spaniards
and then retire. Merritt on his arrival
did all he could to stop that business.
and arranged his plans so that, going
into Manila, he shut them out He
treated Aguinaldo as a mere brigand
Fwho Was annoying him by cutting off
his water supply Merritt was an able
old chap, but he didn't want to stay
there He wanted to settle things, SO
he could get out just as quick as he
could. He realized that it was a tough
job, and he wasn't very well equipped
to carry on long and hard campaign.
Merritt didn't recognize Aguinaido as
presidentsof the republic. He just gave
him to understand that he was a d
nuisance and that he would sit down on
him if he annoyed him (MerritD too
much
otis on his arrival gave the Fill
pnos every latitude They closed
around the city of Manila and com
menced a practical siege and exacted
toll on everything that went in or out
and just simply barred our men from
going into their lines. The Filipinos
had the freedom of the city. They even
enlisted soldiers in the old walled city.
Merritt's treatment of the Filiplnos nad
put them on their mettle, and OTIS gave
them every opportunity to form a. pow
erful army. The Filipinos who were i'll
the Spanish army were well drlHed
men. Otis chased these soldiers out or
Manila, and they Immediately went 20
the Filipino army. These men Wouli
have served with our army; in fact,
they begged to be allowed to join 1t, but
Otis action drove them to the enemy.
There were probably 1900 of these sol
diers.
"Before the outbreak Otis had treat
ed the Filipinos as though he. was
afraid of them. He used no firmness
with them, and they got the impression
that all they had to do to take Manila
was to come and get 1t. Otis poLcy
was certainly a very weak one. Inc
Filipino army and our army were SO
close together previous to the outbreak
that the outposts of the two armies
were not more than two feet apart:
With these Filipinos insulting ana
abusing our men continually ana accus-
ing us of being afraid OF them, there
was but one result thar couio happeh'
and that was a fight.
"After the American soldier had been
in the leash so long nothing coulo STOP
him. not even bad generalship. General
King said: There goes the American
soldier and all hell can't stop him'
Otis is unquestionably great office
man. When it comes down to saving
10 cents he is a great general. He de-
votes the most of his time to finding
out whether some clerk is entitled 10
rations or not. AS a great general OF a
fighting army he is decidedly a failure.
Reports as a rule have been col
ored from Manila. The plain fact OF
the matter is a hundred thousand
troops are needed. That Is the very
smallest number that can subJugate
these Filipinos. 1t Is an impossibllity
probably 10000 men, can ever conquer
these people, Our policy of moving
through a country and gaining victories
without establishing garrisons-mereiy
moving on through the country ana al
lowing the enemy to occupy again posi-
tions we have just taken-is surely 40
advantage to us.
The hospital corps has done effective
work considering the way 1t has peen
handled, which has been very ec4noinIr
cally. There is a large number OF
wounded and sick who might recover
and be fit for duty again if sent to the
United States, but they can never nope
to recover in that climate. II these
men were sent home 1t would leave
more room in the hospitals and the
corps could better attend to other pa
tents.
The policy of the present govern
ment over there has been to send en-
coura ging reports to the United States,
but facts have not warranted these re-