The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-28
NEWS FROM VOLUNTEERS.

c INCE military operations began in the unde-
clared against the Filipinos the rigid CEN
- sorship maintained by General Otis has been SO
effective that the American people not in posses
sion Of the real facts OF that distant situation, except
as given in the letters of volunteers These letters
reach the general public only through their pubica
ton usually in country paper. Hence it is that
tie real current history of the far is being pub
lished in papers all over Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska
Dakota Minnesota, Idaho, Washington and else
where in the States which have volunteers in the field
The collection of these letters to make connected
story impossible, but each is complete in its
tive and furnishes the truth which is rightly excluded
from the official and censored news.
Private Smith of the Fifty first Iowa writes under
date of May 7, and we find his letter in the State
Press published in Iowa City The editor takes pains
state that he omitted the serious parts of it
that, after all, what appears has passed
Private Smith says:
AS the American line advances soldiers must be
left in the to guard, thus weakening the fighting
frce each advance is made Our boys have to
charge every trench. only to find themselves outrun
and the native army far in advance Every native
man. and child in the islands is a soldier, and
they wage furious running fight As rule they
poor shots, army would have been de
stroyed long ago. Should the natives keep up the
pace much longer the American army will be in bad
shape, many of the sick from the oppres
sjve heat and fever. Whenever a drops out Of
the American army it means idle rife while, the
other hand the enemy always has some one ready to
fill up the gap made by the bullets OF our soldiers
The volunteers are being pushed to the front, as
they are supposed to be coming home soon and some
OF the regulars remain around Manila When this
island is under control there are two more that
must be taken in exactly the same manner and it will
require hundred thousand troops to hold them
The United States sized these people up cheaply
and, though the military officers said they had them
whipped two months ago. the fact OF the matter is
that the enemy is as strong We losing
force on the firing line every day, and the more ter
ritory take the greater the force required to hold
the ground Alter getting beyond reach OF the gun
boats on the bay our force is weakened to great ex
in each skirmsh The rainy season is Just start
ing and it pours beat the band. if more voun-
toers come they will like the place! Any place
would be paradise compared to this hole and |
think the United States will get good and sick OF this
expansion business before they get through with it
1t will cost ten millions to get this island
DEF control The natives have better arms than our
soldiers and their Mausers kill twice as far as our
Springfelds We have to stand their fire until within
charging distance and then they fall back. l have
seen men in army pulling artillery and mules
standing in the shade the officers being afraid the
mules would be killed These high officers stay mile
in the rear and send orderly with order for US
to charge and then they get all the praise"
No comment is needed. The volunteers are citizens
and look beyond the days fight and measure the fu-
ture.
In the Des Mones Leader of June II is letter
from Mrs Kitty Lopez wife OF the colonel of the
Fiityfrst Iowa 1t is written from the hospital sta
ton on Corregidor Island. The lady says:
The prospect now is that we may reach home some
time this fall. possibly sooner. If they do not send
volunteer regiments home soon there will only be
handful to go home, they rapidly succumbng
to sickness and fighting You mothers at home may
"a we'll know that your boys in constant danger
and be prepared for the if it come. This war
in the Philippines is fowey as it is pictured to
you at home. You get only one side of it. the other
being concealed by those high in command The
lives OF brave boys are being constantly sacrificed
add to the aures OF those same high officers As
| heard OF the colonies say the other day. they
are killing our volunteers in attempting to accom-
psh in a few weeks what will take years to accom-
pish'
The last sentence OF that letter may we'll be studied
The mperialiss have been in such hurry to get
in and grasp the profits OF conquest and get the
salared places which will so abound in the civil and
military administration required by our subjects that
they have led the Government into a serious piece OF
business without adequate preparation. 1t was said
recently that when the volunteers return they will be
missionaries for imperialism, and will insist hold
ing the beautiful islands they have conquered But
the volunteers children who wish to play with
a venomous snake just because it is pretty They are
American citizens Of full stature and have ideas about
the military and civil policy of their Government
which do not with the imperial dreams OF the
schemers who wish use army to repress liberty
abroad and destroy it at home