Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-08-31
END NOT IN SIGHT.
1t May Take Months to Close the
Philippine War.
GEN. LAWTOy A TERROR TO REBELS
The Filipinos Encouraged by the Handicap
the Rains Impose Upon the Americans
The Rebels Think Congress viii
Declare Against Annexation.

Manila, via San Francisco, Aug. 25.-
In Manila talk Of the ending of the war
deals no longer with weeks, but with
months and even years. Among the
mass OF people here, military men and
foreign residents, there is but one
opinion. The whole effort of the in
surgents for three months was to hold
off the Americans until their ally, the
rains, arrived. In this they have been
as successful as they could have hoped.
Unless affairs take some unforeseen
turn, the Filipinos will resume the war
this fall with fresh spirit and replen-
ished stock of arms and ammunition.
There was time when Aguinaldo's
biggest army hung in the balance,
when its destruction appeared inevita-
Bile. That was when Macarthur had
captured San Fernando and Lawton
was marching Upon San Isidro with
the Filipinos scattering before him.
Lawton had made himself a terror to
the insurgents because no obstacles
stopped him. If the country was
traclless his men cut roads and the
general and his staff took off their
coats and helped. When ratons were
not forthcoming they breakfasted on
another inch of their belts and
marched ahead and they always man
aged to attack from an unexpected
quarter, knowing what road or which
side of town had been entrenched
and they pounced in from any and
every direction, With Lawton at
San Isidro the rebels feared that
he might sweep around upon Tarlac,
where they had installed their nomadic
capital and catch them between two
armies. All the archives, seals, gilt
triangles and treasure boxes were
packed ready for shipment up the rail-
road on the first word Of Lawton's adj
vance. Lawton thought himself able
to take Tarlac from the rear and asked
to be allowed to do 1t with the men
and rations he had. But orders came
to withdraw his troops from San Isidro
and return to Malolos leaving small
garrsons at some of the towns he had
captured. His retirement the Filipinos
construed into retreat and from that
day the sinking hopes of the insurrec-
ton seemed to rise. Luna and Mas
cardo, who had retreated northward
from San Fernando toward Tarlac,
brought their armies back and pro-
ceeded to construct horseshoe line OF
Entertainments around San Fernando
where, according to reports, they led
their followers TO believe they had
Macarthur besieged.
The assassination of Luna was ex-
pected to bring the whole Filipino or
ganization topping down in civil war,
but, while the usual stories Of dissen-
tions are heard, its only result 50 far
as outward appearances go, was to
leave Aguinaldo the undisputed leader
ship. The Filipinos are encouraged by
the handicap the rains impose upon
the Americans and the departure of the
volunteers. They read the American
newspapers and think the home senti-
ment against the war is growing.
Their policy after the rains will be as
it was before, campaign for gaining
time and wearing out their opponents.
They profess to imagine that congress
will declare against annexation. II
fails them they will try to
prolong the struggle until the presi-
dental campaign, with the expecta-
ton that one of the political parties
will declare against Imperialism and
the hope that such party may win.
TO whip them while they are pursuing
such tactics, an army will be needed
that can move rapidly and strike day
after day, following up defeat with
out having to wait for ratons and Thus
giving the enemy time to reorganize.
To capture them most of the generals
here think cavalry will be necessary,
Time after time the Americans have
carefully planned movements which
seemed sure to result in the rounding
up of 9, 900 or 5000 rebels in trap, but
every time the difficulties of the coun-
try, the slowness of the wagon trains
and the superior agility of the light
moving natives have conspired against
them and when the several divisions of
the army came together they have
found handful of obsequious brown
men who announced themselves
amigos"