Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-07-07
WHAT OTIS HAS DONE
OETAlLso OF PRESENT SITUATION
IN PHILIPPINES.
Held by Troop. sixty Mile.
North and south of Manila-Grow.
ing Desire for Peace-Natives Com.
bining to Drive Out I%nsurgen,s.

Gen. Otis, in reply to a cable from the
War Department at Washington asking
lfor information regarding situstion and
conditions in the Philippines, cabled as
,follows:
"Adjutant General, Washington: Rainy
season. Little inland campaigning poesi-
ible in Iuzon. We occupy large portion
of Tagalog country, lines stretching from
linus south. to San Fernando north, near
lily sixty miles, and to eastward into IA.
.guna province. lnsurgent armies have
suffered great losses aud are scattered;
only large force held together about 1000
in Tarlac province and northern Panpan-
ga. Their scattered forces are in bands
of fifty to FIVE hundred in other positions
LuzOn; in Cavite and Batangas pcov1AccS
could assemble possibly 300, though de-
,moralized from recent defeat. Mt0 Of
,people terrorized by insurgent somlefa, de-
sire peace and American protection; no
longer flee on approach Of our tyuDps un-
less forced by insurgents, bat gladly vel
come them. No recent burning Of OWNS.
Population within our lines becoming
dense. taking up land cultivation extern
;sivcly; kept out of Manila much as posi-
BILE as city population is beco0ing too
great 20 be cared for.
Natives southeast of Luzon combining
to drive out insurgents; only hope of In.
surgent leaders is United States aid. They
proclaim near overthrow OF the present
administration, to he followed by their
Independence and recognition by United
States. This is the influence which en-
.ables them to hold out; much contention
prevails among them and no civil govern.
ment remains.
TRADE with ports not in our possess
sion. a former source Of %insurgent rove
nue.. now intcrdicted; not certain Of Wis
dom of this policy, as people in those
parts are without supply of food and mer-
chants are suffering losses; mediate re-
storing trade privileges. although insur-
gents reap benefits. Courts here in sue
-cessful operation under direction OF = @
Filipinos. Affairs in other islands 1, ~
sparatively quiet, awaiting results in 1.u-
-zon. All anxious for trade, and repeated
calls for Amer; can troops are received.
Am giving attention to Jole Archipelago
and Palawan Islands.
Our troops have worked to the limit
Of endurance. Volunteer organizations
have been called in and replaced by rcgu-
lars, who now occupy salient positions.
Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Ctah now
taking transports. and Sixth infantry
sent to Negroes to relieve California.
These troops are in good physical csudi-
don: sickness among troops has increas-
ed lately. due mostly to arduous service
and climatic influences. Nothing alarm
ing.
"Of the - per cent of the command
reported sick nearly 6 in general hospital.
of whom 8 per cent have TYPHOID and IL
emalarial fevers; IS per cent have iutes-
final trouble; remaining SIS per cent have
various ailments, IL of which an due to
wound injuries. Many officers and men
who served in Cuba break under rcur
renee of Cuban fever, and regular rcgi-
'ments received are inadeQuately oficered.
"OTIS.'
The ~inadequacy Of the number of Off
GERS mentioned in the last part of the ca
telegram has been resnedied by the calling
of the transports zdandia and Sheridan,
~r2aaAAeA A~ k~>~R c~AOAAe