The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1899-08-31
A SCARCITY OF FOOD
Rebels Chief Source of Sup
ply Is American Ships.
OTIS MAKES CHARITABLE WAR
He Permits Them to Obtain Food From
Vessels In observation-disclosures
Their Forces.

Manila, Aug. al, via Hong Kong.
Aug. 24.-Filipino rebels appear to re-
tain much more of the fighting epirit
than might be expected after their re-
cent San Fernando experiences and
General Lawton's drubbings in the
south. After giving up San Fernando
with feeble struggle. they entrenched
themselves at Angeles, working for
several days and impressing non-com
batants into work, thus saving armed
men for the fighting. They engaged
Lieutenant-Co Colonel Smiths regiment
and artillery warmly for four hours.
making one of the most stubborn resist
ances of the campaign. and the Ameri-
cans are indebted to the usual poor
marksmanship of the Filipinos az we'll
as their own strategy for their small
losses.
In Cavite province, where it was
supposed that the rebels had been scat
tered and dem oralized beyond recupela-
ton, they have assembled an army of
several thousand. After the San Fer.
nando engagement. the rebels attempt
ed to deter the Americans from further
advance northward, menacing railroad
communications. Several hundred of
General Pillars men crossed the Rio
Grande between the American outpost
towns and threatened Baliuag, Quain-
gut and ohter places with small Ameri.
can garrisons. while, during Sunday
and Monday nights smaller bands tried
to tear up the railroad tracks at several
points between Bigaa and Malolos.
Reinforcements of American troops,
however, were sent along the railroad
from Manila to San Fernando, while
forces at Baliuaa and Quaingut sailed
out against General Pillars men and
the rebels were easily driven away. In
the brush between the Filiplnos and
the Americans during three days, the
Americans lost several men while the
Filipinos' loss was heavy. Of these
operations q press correspondent was
permitted to send only inadequate dis
patches. dictated ver batim by Major
General Otis. The censor writes ster-
eotyped official phrases and adjectives
into dispatches intended to magnify
American operations and minimize
opposition. Otis says the newspapers
are not public institutions. but private
enterprises, and correspondents are
here only on sufferance.
All reports from the rebel territory
agree that scarcity Of food is increasing
and rebel commanders at Aparty and
other points refused to obey Aguinal-
dos orders in regard to closing the
ports held by rebels against American
ships and say any ship bringing stores
will be welcomed. Several ships from
Manila are now at these ports. Hun
dreds of people come into Manila daily
and return to the rebel line with food
and other commodities. The guards
stationed along the road reported that
5000 persons passed through the lines
in three davys, and that 45 tons Of rice
were carried out in small parcels on
the same road in 10 days. Much of
this undoubtedly goes to aid the rebels.
but the authorities permit this traffic
from motives Of charity towards women
and children, who are undoubtedly
suffering. General Macarthur is es-
tablishing municipal governments in
the villages north of Manila.