Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-31
Rev. Dr.. MacQueen's View Of Law
toms Campaign.
BE CITES CASES IN POINT
Capture Of AguinaIdo's Army Pre-
vented by Order to Fall Back
DANGER IN PRESENT STATUS

A special to the New York World from
San Francisco says; The Rev. Peter Mac
Queen, pastor of the Day Street Congrega-
tional Church, Boston, and author Of
Around the World With the Flag" has
Sherman.
DR.. MacQueen was with the army nearly
six months, the most Of the time on the
firing line He has eaten and bunked with
Gen. Lawton, Gen. Hale, Gen. Wheaton and
Gen. Macarthur and their stats, and he
has camped with and shared the rations of
the men. He had exceptional privileges for
obtaining Information.
1.-THE weakness of the whole affair in the
Philippines is in having Gen. Otis act as
military and civil governor" said he. Gen.
Otis is not competent to conduct the affairs
of the dual position. He never saw the fir
ing lines and has no personal knowledge of
the exigencies of the situation. He cannot
direct military operations successfully and
time; he has not the capacity. Every SOL
der and civilian with whom I talked says
the same. In my six months stay found
not one man who would say that Gen. Otis
is a competent officer. There are a few
who desire his retention as civil governor,
but for financial reasons only.
AEuinaldO Saved by Otis.
II have the most positive and convincing
evidence that If Gen. Lawton had been
permitted to carry out his desires on the
25th of March, the war would have been
practically ended. Aguinaldo was, with the
flower of his army, at Malolos. and Mac
Arthur was in his front There was only
one route by which Aguinaldo could escape.
r 80 ant byy
the right flank and take Aguinaldo's army
in the rear The insurgents then would
have been between Lawton and Macarthur.
Aguinaldo could not have moved of by his
right flank, owing to the bay, and his left
flank and rear would have been covered by
Lawton, while in his front was Mac
Arthurs brigade.
1t was a movement that could have been
easily executed, but it was not permitted
until Aguinaldo had ample time to escape.
After he had done so the order to advance
on Malolos was issued.
Twenty-Five Battles in Twenty Days.
I'm the San Isidro campaign Gen. Law
ton fought twenty-five battles in twenty
days, marching 100 miles. destroyed 100000
pounds of rice and established civil govern
n.ent in two towns. After one battle we
counted 400 dead Filipinos.
"At San Rafael Gen. Lawton, with a
center of the insurgent forces under Gen.
Gregorio Pillar After gaining their rear he
deployed his men in line of battle and soon
had them in retreat.
"At this time Gen. Lawton was six miles
beyond Agnat, the terminus of the field
telegraph line. Shortly after he began mis-
dash for the insurgents center telegram
for him was received from Gen. OTIS, In
Manila. 1t was not delivered Then tele-
grams from Otis began pouring in. all to
this effect: Where is the commanding
general?'
Five of those kilograms were received,
but not courier had the heart to deliver
them. Gen. Lawton brought up his brigade
Of 8, 500 men and had the Filipinos in full
rout, when the queries from Gen. Otis be-
came so important that a courier galloped
to the front and delivered them.
at the Front, Where He Ought to Be-
This was Gan. Lawton's reply: AT the
front with his army where he ought to be-
"a construction Of impertinence might be
placed on that, but one not on the ground
can have no conception Of the provocation,
for Gen. Lawton seemed to realize what
was coming. 1t was not long delayed. I'm
mediately after the reply had been received
Cen Otis telegraphed: Withdraw your
command six miles to Agnat.'
II will not say how this order was re-
ceived at field headquarters. Gen Lawton
had moved his entire brigade artillery and
wagon trains, naQ routed the enemy, ana
now had TO release the fruits Of his victory.
1.-THE sole cause of the issuance of that
order by Gen. Otis was his receipt of
message to the effect that a representative
from Aguinaldo was on his way to arrange
for an armfstice. The representative ar
rived in the form of a second lieutenant.
Gen. Otis refused to treat with him, and
ordered Cen Lawton to again advance on
San Rafael, but, OF course, no insurgents
were found. Now, this is not a matter of
hearsay; 1t came within my personal
knowledge and is a matter Of record.
American Government Not Wanted.
There is not Filipino in the island that
wants the American form of government
There was a time when the conquest Of the
island might have been completed with
comparatively little bloodshed, and that
was Immediately after Dewey's victory.
Since that time the policy has been such as
to encourage their resistance
You are told that the only plan is to
eXterminate the Tagalos. You must take
into consideration that the Tagalos number
100000 people, and that the island of
Luzon alone is an incense territory.
Gen. Lawton told me they are as brave
a race Of people as ne ever met. Their pol
icy of making a show Of holding a posi-
ton and then falling back is one of strate-
gy. They know our troops are not in suffi-
cient force to garrison towns and often the
very day we evacuate place they re-enter
their nerve and courage.
Dangers of Foreign Complications.
eff the war is not brought to a speedy
termination there Is a probability of more
serious complications 1t will not do for
the United States to place too much re-
lance in England's expressions of amity
and good will. Germany and England are
watching US closely, and there is suspi-
cion that they are arriving at the conolu-
sion that we are doing in the Philippines
exactly the thing we chastised Spain for
doing in Cuba and with that precedent
established they are only awaiting an OPP
nortune moment to interfere. But their
interference will be from jealousy of trade
relations.
.eThat Japan is supplying the Filipinos
with arms and munitions of war Is com
monty known, and the fleet rocks idly In
the bay of Manila making no effort to cap
ture the filibusters.
The Peace Commission Farce.
"The much-lauded peace commission was
the worst farce imaginable. Volume after
volume of reports Of that commission Will
be printed; the expense Of the commission
amounts to many thousands of dollars, and
It did not do ten cents worth of good. The
members Of the peace commission estab-
lished themselves in a comfortable palace
in Manila and invited the Ftlipinos to come
in and talk to them. Day after day, week
md or tn