The evening times., 1899-05-06
AGULNALDO CANNOT
. CONTINUE THE Fight
General Harrison Gray Otis
Views of the Filipinos.
Brave Enough. But Unlearned in the
Art Of War.
FavoFs q Military Government by
America Civil OmcehOlders
Would Breed DiscOntent.

New York, May 6.-Tne WoFiO tniS
morning publishes the following statement
of affairs in the Philippines. presented by
Cen Harrison Gray Otis. Who reached Los
Angeles. Cal. from Manila on May g. Gen
erai Otis recently commanded the First
Brigade, Second Division OF the Eign,h
Army Corps. in the Philippines:
THE duration OF the pending campaign
in the Philippines is bound to be brief.
1t Is impossible for the army under
Aguinaldo to continue the fight. and
there is no hope of military success,
even If the fight should be continued
indefinitely. Neither the embatt.ed Fill
pinos nor the so-called Filipino govern
ment have the resources necessary to in
sure success. They are without adequate
arms and ammunition; they are without
horse artillery or a navy; they have no
sufficient commissariat. but are compelled
to live precariously of the country; they
have no treasury; they have no efficient
organization; they are without command
ers of knowledge and capacity for modern
warfare, and. finally. they are without
cohesion.
There is no solidarity in the patriotism
of the population. if patriotism it be.
The different island peoples are at outs
with each other. and they will never sub
init to Tagalo rule, to Aguinaldo or any
of his associate job-seeking statesmen.
PIuclS, But UnskiIIed.
THE Filipino soldiers and mimic war
riors are not without pluck, as they have
shown in the various actions since the first
outbreak took place, but they do not know
how to fight, and are no match fer the
valorous and intrepid American volunteers
and regulars who have gone up against
them in the duty OF suppressing a rebellion
against the authority OF the Unit cd States
and OF vindicating the flag OF the Repub-
lie which they wantonly assailed.
SO that defeat-and complete defeat
must be the portion OF the revolution
airy government
Il lock for an unconditional surrender in
the very near future.
American interests in the Philippines
are IN good hands. Trust to Dewey on
the sea and Major General Otis on the land
TO do their work well and thoroughly.
The preposterous barefoot fighters of
the Philippines must go down before the
invincible American sailors and soldiers,
whose armed opposition they have unwar-
rantably provoked.
The character OF the natives does not
vi COurSe- llSelI 10 tne
respect of enlightened American or Euro
pean peoples; yet they are not without
their virtues, and under firm and just rule
with their natural rights guaranteed to
them, they can be made capable OF much
good.
But they certainly have not that ca
pactty for government which would
warrant turning over the country TO their
civil and military control. They are not. as
i have already said, united in their desire
for autonomy and native self-government. +.
and If Aguinaldo and his fellows should be
turned loose to manage the country and
Its government thay would fail
The different tribes Of the archipelago
would quarrel among themselves. and the
whole experiment would end in more or
less picturesque thrOat-cutting.
The value of the islands as American
possessions is, think. beyond dispute. be-
cause of their extent, their rich natural
resources, as yet only partially developed,
and their favorable geographical position
in the Pacific, on the direct track from
America to the Orient.
Openings for Our Capital.
THE openings afforded in the Philip
pines for the employment Of American
capital are neither few nor unimporlant,
but in order that success may follow they
must be investigated with thoroughness
er right conditions have been ascertained
to exist; otherwise serious mistakes are
liable to occur there. as elsewhere under
like conditions. What l mean is that
Americans of enterprise and capital should
not be precipitate in planting themselves
in our new possessions. Fools rush in
where angels fear to tread
las to settlement by average American
farmers laborers, artisans, and home
builders, my judgment is that our people
should so slow. Without careful previous
investigation they might make serious mis-
takes. and possibly regret their change of
home and habitat.
When it comes to considering the ques-
tion OF making living and acquiring profit
in that country through the labor of the
hands. it must be borne in mind that the
climate is a formidable obstacle to COM
piete success. not that il is in fact an un-
healthy climate speak of the northern
island of Luzon, which Is a healthy region
as whole-but the heat throughout eight
or nine months of the year is so intense
as to prevent American or European labor
ers from averaging more than three or four
hours day in out-of-door manual en-
ployments
Native Labor Necessary.
The resources Of the country, il devel-
oped through American enterprise, energy
and capital. must be developed largely by
the use of native labor under American
management. The methods, industrial. So
cial and political. of a century cannot be
changed In day nor in a year, nor even
in a decade.
The attempt to supplant native labor
cannot be accomplished without injustice,
disturbance and possible revolution. Be-
sides. the native laborers of the country
have the natural and indefeasible right to
perform its labor. SO far as they are will
ing. qualified and able.
Under American administration of the
island numbers Of our citizens can find
advantageous openings as capitalists, own
ers directors. managers. assistant mana
gers. iofemen, sub-foremen bookkeepers
clerks and agents. and other places OF re-
sponsibility more or less important
but none Of these classes should de-
pend upon the country without having first
laid the groundwork for success. Neither
the skilled nor unskilled labor of that
country can compete with ours, and 1t is
not worth nearly as much per man: hut
there are countless numbers of these Fill
pino laborers. and they can do the worl,
when properly directed. Not being able
10 accomplish as much as an equal num-
Der OF American laborers would accom-
piish. they of course do not and should not
command such high wages. Besides. they
can live on less and are content with less.
The government of the Philippines will
not be an easy problem. but neverthe-
less, 1t Is problem which American