The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-06
AGlJINALD DOS AGENT PREMATURELY GLEEFUl

the insurgent trenches and defenses
and could shell them with effect if an
outbreak occurred. This movement
was effected more than ten days ago,
and the administration has not felt Sc
rious apprehension of General Otis
ability to at least hold his own.
The American position might have
been generally strengthened, it is said
| by judicious extension of the line in
certain directions, and also by taking
| summary measures to prevent the
operations of the insurgents in taking
| up positions and organizing forces
President Mckinley took the view that,
perhaps, under a strict construction of
the terms of the protocol, which still
holds good in the absence of the ratif1-
cation of the treaty, he lacked author
ity to extend the field Of occupation of
the Americans. The fact that the in
surgents themselves have been the first
to break the truce, practically releases
the United States from further obliga-
ton in this respect, so that General
Otis was unquestionably warranted, in
the opinion of the administration Off
Gals, in extending his lines as Dewey
reports he had done.
The situation is regarded here as
rather anomalous from a diplomatic
standpoint. Legally, the Filipinos are
still Spanish subjects. Therefore, if
operations continue outside of the linn
its of Manila, as laid down in the proto-
col, it will amount to a resumption of
the war with Spain, at least techni-
cally
| Officials noted one little flaw in Dew
ey's dispatch, in which he spoke of the
| American army and navy as "gener-
| ally successful" conveying just the
| least intimation that at some points the
results were not as satisfactory as at
others. 1t is inferred here that this
might mean the development of weak
ness at some of the more exposed points
on the American lines, which might be
easily explained by the fact that the
attack was made at night, perhaps in
places where the insurgents could
creep closer UP to the shelter of the
| tropical jungle that grows nearly up
into the town of Manila Every conf
dence, however, is felt that General
| Otis is master Of the situation. This
confidence is based not only on this
mornings cablegram, but from re-
peated assurances to that effect con-
veyed by General Otis to Washington
from time to time during the past few
months. The forces under his COM
mand as shown by the records Of the
| Adujtant Generals office, December 10,
| the date of the last report, were q, 649
troops, and of these there were present
for duty 1856 men. This command is
composed of the following organiza
tons:
Company A, United States Engineer
Battalion; Companies c, E, G, I, K and
L, Fourth United States Cavalry; troop
of Nevada Cavalry; Companies G, H, K
and L of the Third, and D and G of the
Sixth United States Artillery; Com
panfes A and B Of the Utah Artil-
lery and the First Wyoming Battery;
the Third and Fourth United States
Infantry; the Fourteenth and Com
panies B, D, F, H, l, NJ, L and N Of
the Seventeenth United States Infan-
try; the Eighteenth, Twentieth and
Twenty-third United States Infantry;
the First California, the First Colorado,
the First Idaho, the Fifty-first Iowa,
the Twentieth Kansas the Thirteenth
Minnesota, the First Montana, the First
Nebraska, the First North Dakota, the
Second Oregon, the Tenth Pennsyl-
vania, the First South Dakota, the
First Tennessee, the First Washington
and the First Wyoming Regiments Of
Volunteer Infantry.
A portion of this force, the Eighteenth
Infantry and battery of artillery. are
at noilo, where General Miller was sent
a month or more ago. Approximately
5000 men are on their way to join Gen
eral Otis, in four separate expeditions,
though none is expected to reach Ma
Mia for three weeks or a month. These
are the Fourth and four companies
of the Seventeenth Infantry, 1928 men,
under General Lawton, which sailed
from Gibraltar last Friday; the Tween
tieth Infantry, comprising 81 officers
and 1868 men, under General Wheaton,
which left San Francisco January 81;
the Twenty-seoond Infantry, in COM
mand of Colonel Egbert, which left San
Francisco early in the present month,
and 1000 men and officers Of the Third
and Seventeenth United States Regi-
ments of Infantry, which left New York
Friday on the Sherman
There is a big transport, the Sheri-
dan, now making ready In New York to
carry the Twelfth Infantr and bat
talon of the Seventeenth Infantry,
1920 men in all, and she will start not
later than the 14th inst. That is all
that can be supplied to General Otis in
the way of reinforcements, according
to General Corbin, If the soldiers are to
be of service in this campaign. More,
of course, will follow as rapidly as they
can be gotten ready if General Otis
needs them in any future operations he
may plan, but, as already stated, it is
believed this particular crisis will have
passed before they can be transported
the great distance from the United
States to Manila. These troops, with
those now in Cuba. represent the cream
of the American army, according to
General C0rhin 1t is true that Only