The Mena star., 1899-08-31
END NOT IN SIGHT.
If May Take Months to Close the
 Philippine War.
CEy. LAWTON 4 TERROR TO REBELS.
The FIliplnos Encouraged by the Handicap the Rains Impose Upon the Americans The Rebels Think Congress will
 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, thee 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 it's destruction appeared inevita- be That was when Macarthur had captured San Fernando and Lawton was marching upon San 1sidro with the Flipinos scattering before him. Lawton had made himself terror to the insurgents because no obstacles stopped hiu. I the country was trackless his men cut roads and the general and his staff took off their coats and helped When rations 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 a town had been entrenched and they bounced 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 trangles and treasure boxes were packed ready for shipment up the rail- road on the first word of Lawton's ad- vance. Lawton thought himself able to take Tarlac from the rear and asked to be allowed to do it with the men and rations he had. But orders came to withdraw his troops from San lsidro and return to Malolos. leaving small garrisons ut some of the towns ne had captured. His retirement the Filipinos construed into a retreat and from that day the sinking hopes of the insnrrec-s tion seemed to rise. Luna and Mas cardo, who had retrcated northward from San Fernando toward Tarlac. brought@ their armies back and pro- ceeded to construct a horseshoe line of entrenchments 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 so far as outward appearances go, was to leave Agunaldo 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. If congress fails them they will try to prolong the struggle until the presi- dential 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 rations 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 2, 900 or 3, GOO 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.