Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-09-17
OTIS A FAILURE.
A Returned y. S. Regular Says
There Must be a New Command
er in the PHILIPPINES, or the War
Will be Prolonged Indefinitely.

Among the late arrivals in the city
is Elmer Steward, just returned from
the Philippines. Mr.. Steward has COM
pleted his second enlistment in the
regular army, his first being in the
Tenth infantry and the term just COM
pleted in the Fighting Seventeenth.
His former term was spent upon the
western plains.
When the war with Spain commenc-
ed he, with his regiment, were station
ed at the Columbus, o., barracks, and
they were among the first troops sent
over TO Cuba. After the Cuban cam
paign they were returned to the United
States, and shipped from San Francisco
to Manila. The record of the Seven
teenth infantry is well known, and the
discharge of Mr.. Steward shows he par
ticipated in eight different engage
ments in Cuba and the Philippines.
He. like all discharged soldiers from
the Philippines, expresses his opinion
openly.
He states that unless some other gem
eral is placed in command, the lnsur-
gents can never be subdued. Grand
mother Otis, as he is styled by the
soldiers, is not a success, and that after
all the men killed and wounded and
the hundreds dying from disease,
Aguinaldo is now in better shape than
when Dewey took the city of Manila.
The. soldiers are disheartened, and I'M
less Gen. Merritt, Gen. Lawton, or some
other equally good general is placed in
command, this war will last for ages.
Contrary to word sent to the United
States by Otis, the insurgents are a
brave and plucky race, and are conf-
lem that they will in time gain their
independence, for which they have beer
battling for over four hundred years.
As n sample of bravery, he relates
where a slightly wounded Filipino was
taken prisoner and afterwards escaped.
The next day he was found wounded
unto death, still clutching his gun and
crying for liberty. Uncle Sam, he
states, will have trouble in getting reg
ulars to re-enlist for many reasons,
chief among which is the paying OF
volunteers extra monthly pay and
money in lieu of transportation home,
while the regulars only receive pay for
time actually served and money trans
Ollly IIOh1 odb NANA
they arrive to their place OF enlist
ment. In other words, the volunteer,
with his extra pay and amount saved
out of transportation money given him,
will save nearly $500, while the regu-
lar has nothing except what he may
have coming at the date Of his dis
charge.
The climate Of the Philippines, he
states, is good except in the rainy
season, and though he had a bad
spell of sickness during the
campaign in Cuba, he enjoyed per-
feet health in the Philippines.
Among the Filipinos the fighting is al
most such as he experienced among the
Western Indians. The jungies and
swamps are a terror, and many times
on the firing lines the soldiers are
waist deep in filthy water. He states
now as the war is in progress it should
be prosecuted to the end, but some
more competent commander will have
to replace Otis, who is a fat failure,
having time and again prevented Gen.
Iawton and others from a Vigorous
prosecution Of the war while he was a
soldier.
Mr.. Steward is a Stewardstown, AL
legheny county, Pa, boy, and is visit
ing H. ]. McGivern, of this city.