Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-11-10
COL. POPE ON THE PHILIPPINES

The Pioneer Press Washington CORES
pondent has an interesting interview on
the Philippine question with Col. j. w.
Pope, formerly in charge of the work of
construction on the military post here,
and more recently chief quartermaster
in the Philippines. The press interview
is as follows:
81 have formed my conclusions con
corning Gen. Otis almost entirely from
my acquaintance with him since | went
to Manila. l went there in the first
place with Gen. Merritt and l remained
in the islands after the departure of that
officer, ! consider Gen. Otis a really
great man and | believe that others will
see him in that light when they are able
to look at what he has accomplished
without pre- JUDGE"
This statement was made by Col.
James w. Pope, chief quartcrmastcr of
the army in the Philippines, who is here
on business before the war department.
Col. Pope is a warm admirer of Gen.
Otis, and his regard springs from con-
slant association with the commander of
the American army in the Philippines.
He was on the staff of Gen. Otis and his
duties brought him and the general in
daily contact. In his opinion Gen. Otis
has been the subject of harsh and I'M
merited criticism, and he states that
time will prove that Otis has made as
few mistakes as a nan in his difficult
position could make. He further says
that he has been hampered by conditions
that have not confronted any commander
of modern times, and that these ought
to be taken into consideration in forming
an estimate.
Gen. Otis has been censured in a pitt
less manner for things that no mortal
man could be blamed for" said Col.
Pope. "He has been required to manage
an empire both in a military and civil
capacity, to fight a most difficult kind of
war 5000 miles from his nearest base of
supplies and to change armies at the
same time. At no time, as he has said
to me several times, has he had an avail
able force of more than 10000 men, and
he could not use all of them, nor half of
them, for fighting. Many were in the
hospital, still more had to be kept in and
near Manila"
Col. Pope says the personnel of the
army in the Philippines has been largely
misunderstood. He says the regulars
who were sent to Manila we're composed
largely of raw recruits, and fully 50 per
cent had had no previous military train,
ing. The volunteers were well trained
soldiers, said Col. Pope, and most of
them had at least six months exper-
fence of the best kind of warfare.
81 do not hesitate to, say" said Col.
Pope, that the volunteers who were in
the Philippines we're the best soldiers l
ever saw l cannot speak too highly OF
them, although I had little confidence in
them in the first place. With a few un.
important exceptions they were the very
embodiment of patience and endurance
and seemed to love fighting better than
eating"
Col. Pope says the changing of armies
created a great deal of confusion in
Manila. ut was really equivalent tc
swapping horses in the middle of the
stream" said he, "but Gen. Otis had nc
choice in the matter, for the volunteers
term of enlistment had expired. Then
Gen. Otis had to keep a large portion Of
his force in and around Manila. The
reason for this is hard to appreciate un
less one understands fully the Filipino
character. Had this not been done mum.
bers would have skulked into Manila
and there would have been arson and
assassination without end. "Since ar
irving in this country continued Col
Pope, II have noticed a great hue and
cry has been raised over the abandon.
ment of certain towns which had been
captured by the American forces. MOI
"a single town has been abandoned which
was Of any importance to US. Why die
we take them in the first place? Theil
capture was simply an incident in the
campaign. We we're after the Filipinos
not the towns. If the Filipinos were
in the towns we had to attack them. Thu
object was to get the insurgents to fight
and to obtain possession Of their arms