The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-31

a lion. King and Otis are both excellent
brigade commanders
But in my Judgment, we wouldn't be
fighting now in the Philippines had it not
been for two things. One was the sign.
ing OF the peace protocol in Just the form
it was signed and the other was the
delay, unavoidable though 1t was, in get
ting the Spanish troops out of the Islands.
The peace protocol required that all hos
tilities should cease after IL was signed
and that we should confine our presence
to the city and bay of Manila. That left
all the rest of the Island of Luzon for
Aguinado TO operate in. On Sept / his
forces we're nearly out of ammunition and
short Of supplies. He controlled. however,
the only railroad running through the ISL
and from Manila to Dagupan which is
town on Lingayen bay 100 miles northwest
OF Manila. He established his headquar-
ters at Malolos, and he was free to run
trains from there north whenever he
pleased.
1.-THE harbor Of Dagupan Is a very fair
one The insurgents have a number OF
small vessels in their service. Now II Is
no guesswork on my part when / tell yoa
that on Sept. l the rebels were pretty
nearly out of everything needful to carry
on a war. Seven months have passed since
then. During all but q fraction of that
time our land forces have remained in Ma
Mia and Dewey's ships in Manila bay.
When our army got into the heart of the
rebel country II found the natives judging
by the fight they have put up during the
past two days well provided with amm.i-
milton and guns Their munitions of war
must have come from some where. The
only source of such supplies on the Island
of Luzon is a small cartridge factory
which Aguinaldo put up and set going at
linus, several miles southeast of Manila.
This wasn't big enough to supply cart
ridges for a days good hard fighting.
Now II islt difficulty to figure where
Aguinado's supplies came from. He has
bought them of rascals in Hong Kong,
brought them In his vessels 10 Dagupan.
loaded them on cars and distributed them
to his troops along the line of the rail-
road He has had seven months in which
TO do this, and during the greater part
of that time we nave been forced to re-
frain from using force to cut off his sup
plies A great many rifles and a great
deal OF ammunition and other supplies
could be transported from Hong Kong
TO Dagupan in seven months, and you may
be sure the insurgent leader has not been
wasting time.
Now that we have really gone at them
the solution Of the problem Is made easier
by the fact that Dewey can get to work
He has ships enough OF one class or an
other completely 10 blockade the island
and cut Aguinaldo off from everything.
This having been DONE It only remains
for him 10 exhaust his present supplies,
II he can't thrash them and break his
rebellion before that
But If the Spanish troops could have
been got away from the Islands soon after
Sept. ! the rebels would have consented
to lay down their arms. l know this, but
they said they couldn't lay down their
arms 30 long as an armed force of Span
iards remained In the islands. They didn't
know what was going to happen In Paris
and we didn't, and they weren't going to
dsband, they said, until they were sure
the Spaniards were going don't believe
the natives Will be conquered as quickly
or as easily as some folks believe but
they'll be conquered, and don't make any
mistake about it,"