New-York tribune., 1899-02-06
VIEWS OF GEN. MERRITT.
No CAUSE FOR APPREHENSION RE
GARDING THE OUTCOME.
TIE FORCE NOW THERE ENOUGH TO De
FEND THE CITY AND TEACH THE
NATIVES THE LESSON THEY

APPARENTLY NEED.

WAS seen Yesterday afternoon at the Waldorf
Astoria by Tribune reporter General Merritt
had no Information Of the outbreak in Manila
by the Insurgents other than the particulars
conveyed n the published dispatches Refer
ring to "A map of the Philippines General Mer-
rift said he imagined from what he had read
that tn attacl; must have been made some dls-
tance from the cOastne. The insurgents would
naturally keep as far away from the bay as they
could because Of n wholesome dread Of the
shells from Admiral Dewey's ships. When the
General was in the Philippines Agunaldo's
headquartcrs were IN a suburb called Bacoor,
locality OF swamps and ricehelds. 1t was proDa-
be, the General thought. that the struggle hau
taken place in that vicinity.
The dispatches so far received from Manila
state that the attack was made the city from
the north and south General Merritt was in
clined to doubt that any attack had been made
from the north because, as he explained the in
gurgents. if they showed themselves in that
direction. would lay their lines open to the guns
Of the American fleet.
SEVERE FIGHT.
Whom General Merritt was asked If the loss
Of twenty lives with over a hundred wounded
on the American side in an hours battle ana
not indicate that an extremely severe fight had
The comparatively long list Of casualties may
have been due to their long-range guns. 1t IS
possible that they never reached the American
lines. The Fiipinos | may point out learned
all their tactics from the Spanards. In ther
attacks upon us the Spanards usually fought
at night They would never appear above th"r
brcastworks. but fred upon us with their long
range rifles elevated almost to n horizontal posi-
ton. on July 81 when we had brush with
the Spaniards. some of our men were kiIIed an"
wounded but none Of these were in the neigh-
horhood Of the Spanards. In fact, they were
mon who were over a mile in the rear VINO
were marching 10 the front as reinforcements.
At the battle Of Plevna, You may remember
that a Russian regiment. stationed behind
hill some distance from the actual battle-ieId'
was decmated by the Turkish guns. whose sho'S
were intended for the leading lines OF the NdS-
slams In exactly the same way We had men
killed At Manila. and it may have been that
the losses Of yesterday were caused by the
long-rangc guns Of the insurgents
STRENGTH or THE INSURGENTS.
Asked as to the probable strength Of the in
surgents. the General said that at the time ne
was in Manila he estimated their number at
from 1900 10 2OOO0 some officers he went
on. thought that they had a larger army thah
this; hut | made my computation upon the num-
.or ~ arms the Insurgents had. Tho got some
Of these arms from Hong Kong, some from the
Standards and lot more from the deserters
who came 70 them in bodies. Some few arms
were turned over 10 the Fiiipinos from CaNlte
when the Admiral took the bay but the guam
tty given % them from this source has oeeh
greatly exaggerated. OF course. since that time
it IS possible that. with the money they nave
under their control. they have bought largely
Of guns and rifles smuggling them into the
islands from China. At the time am speak
ing Of they had no artillery save a few old
pieces. which could be loaded only with difi-
Guilty
AS I have before said. think that from
~ 600 to 10000 Of our American troops would
he enough to subiugate the islands. and, with
that accomplished. we might replace nearly
tvo-thirds Of that strength with natives. just
az the English have done in garrsoning Egypt
India and other possessions.
ENOUGH TO DEFEND THE CITY
"Our force now at Manila is quite enough
TO defend the city. and to prevent any attack
upon the place succeeding And if that force
f., used vigorously. it VIII teach the natives the
lesson they apparently need; and when they
have been once chastsed they will submit in
future II ia characteristic Of these natives to
admire force and 10 respect It. The moment
a nation temporizes with them their conclusion
| IS that the temporizing is actuated ny rear
but II they get the lesson whlch am sure the
American people will feel like administering to
them now. | don't think we shall have great
doal Of trouble with them afterward"
Have they any means OF obtaining ammuni-
,ion except by smuggling it in from China|
the General was asked
AMMUNITION FACTORY AT WORK
"Tb.y have" ne replied. "Why. before left
the Philippines they had an ammunition factory
at work employing over FIVE hundred men
Whether they have since increased their re-
sources am not able % say.
81 did not think there was any danger Of the
insurgents rising" General Merritt said. in an
s,yer to another inquiry, but | suppose they
have become incited by recent events do not
care to say more upon that subject, because |
b,r. only praise for the course the Govern
men, bot taken with regard 30 those islands
Stlu | do not think there Is any necessity or
cause for appreh' rsion on the pat 81 'ht pVo.
hns,Illtirs so far as our Army is concerned.
bU"w that II is well commanded. and I know
;hat the troops are I'm splendid condition.
MAGNITUDE EXAGGERATED.
"uoreovcr the magnitude Of these night at
tacis is greatly exaggerated. There Is no fuch
thing a. gcttirg into Manila by night because
or ,be tortuous approaches 10 il, ard, even in
DAYTIME. a successful attack would be difficult
In fact. do not believe there was over any
ll-founded attack at nighttime. either on the
part Of the Spanlards or the fllPnoS me So
iau.1 battles were usually an indulgence IN
noise and clamor such as the Orentals are tohd
OF creating and which certainly had the eHeot Ht
| ~ harasslng the Spanlards ana keeilns 'h'W
awake III i, ,t i,
III should not take long 10 subGue the IN
eurg.nts They may have had accrssl"ns 10
their ranks and have more arms than Wh'n
lttf af
| ,i,ion that i'm half a day. with th" AID "f Al
u,,iral Dewcy's fleet could have cleared out
the whole Of the insurgents who were beSleSns
General Merritt gave it as his opinion that the
insurgents would make another attack last
nirht and would. In fact continue 10 90 W
bv the American troops