The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-01
BIGGER ARMY IN
THE PHILIPPINES
A Virginia Soldier Tells Of What is
Badly Needed.
OTIS SHOULD Be RELIEVED
or the Immediate Command of the
Army aud Macarthur be Put
in Command of the
Campaign.
OTIS SHOULD Be RELIEVED

The following letter from a Vrginian
Who is a United States soldier in the
philippines has been received by a gen
temdu OF Richmond, VINO has kindly per-
nlittod the publication OF al OF IL mat Is
OF puDliC interest.
Naga. Cebu Id, p. l., Aug. IA. 1899
My cnurc conviction opposes our Iurther
sighting, attempting very touhshly 10
cstaDIisn a parallel between the FAlp4nos
ara our fOTciathcrs. TO ME sucn attempts
are lauChablo IN the extreme and Insult
ing 10 lDe fathers OF the republic, IN that
they are placed on q footing OF eQudh.y
with AkulualuO and his crew-a conpafl-
son doubtless very pleasing 70 Af. Agul-
paldo. but sufficient 10 disturb the shades
Of the great men themselves. 30 that 70
know that you feel with me IS very srall-
~fyiug-paldon the turn i have gwen TINS
sentence.
viii endeavor to give you a. sketch Of
cur recent operations. on June lZth our
battalion, then on the lines az JaiOi was
ordered 70 move Immediately 10 ll0llO,
there 90 embark for Cebu, Where serious
disturbances were apprehcnded, owing 10
the murder OF a prominent FILIPINO we
sailed the next morning, ana arrived on
Cebu twenty-i0ur hours later. Ihe only
troops on the island previous 20 our COM
ing was a battalion OF the Twenty-third
Infantry. who had held tho city since
April. Early in June the Filipino spoke
Of had been assassinated az MS mousse il
Ccbu because OF his pro-American pro-
c~liyities.
SUFFERED FOR FOOD.
We remained I'm tho city two weeks,
suffering greatly for lack OF fresh
TatiOns (the ration question Is a very
serious one FOR our soldiers In the troplcs)'
ana then. with a company Of the Twenty
third. marched 10 ii Pardo. az the foot
Of the mountain range which runs the
length OF the island our two companies
remained at this point some time. and be
. ING Joined by another Of regulars, we ieft
our other Iwenty-third company and pro-
.eoded TO garrison this and other towns
along the coast. Maya is the seat or the
Meta family. Of which the murdered man
was the head. and the people welcomed
our coming gladly. our entry into the
town was made late I'm the afternoon, and
presented a curious and interesting spec
facle. We marched down a long street.
wondering ~ there would be any fighting.
rs we could see a body OF armed men
ahead. But 70 proved 20 be only "a boog
OF native police armed with pixies ana
bolas. drawn ar TO salute us. Colonei
Hamer. the Military Governor. nao come
down by water with his star, ana was
waitinr for us at the Mejia mansion.
INerytling possible was done for our
comf5rf and enjoyment. This was due
eolel, 10 the Meiias. Had they seen NJ 10
oppose us. the pikcmen would nave Ooey-
I'd them and fought.
Conditions here are not essentially
different from those which once pre-
vailed I'm the Scottish clans. This
one family holds thousands OF acres on
land. mountain and valley. ana upon every
foot Of 10 their word is law. Everything
raised thereon comes 20 them for sale
tobacco. hemp. sugar and rice. IheF pay
the native police or militia. srlllt us
putee. and I'm every way rule tntll tch-
ants. In return the latter look 10 them
Tor protection and aid. They provide Tor
the sick and intrm ana bury me oead
1T is through this. the only hleihEtut
class. that we must rule the l1lanoS. N"eh-
orally fhev are friendly 90 us. and where
fhcy are NOT II only requires time TO con-
vince fhnm OF their mistake. IneIe are
Il Is tr.e. some insurgents In the FAST
nesses of the mountains. but tney are
masterless men. who even In times or
peaco were hunted down. as robbers and
bandits. There can bee no doubt. / thlhk'
Of the wisdom of the. plan now oelng pur-
sued in this island. Every town or I'M
portance. strategic or commercial. Us oc-
cupied nv small d~otachmeute of our
troops. thus -famillarlziug the inhabitants
with American rule. and dt me same lltle
protecting them from The attacks or the
enemy. Each place So held becomes a
centre OF American influence for q large
district. After a time 10 VIII be easy 70
utilize the services of the native mlllla
10 break uu all organized resistance as
The "Nftio brown mem seem universally
anxious 'o enter our service ana 'hey
A FLAG RAISING.
After we had ho.d tula town for a few
weeks We decided Too have q ilag-r-islng
o. NAH ANAN ..
usual about this ceremony ordinarily, but
on this occasion there were mover anu
interesting features. me DAY was sun
day. when the town is filled with people
from the mountains. ANA when all the
outlying militia come I'm for instruction
and drill. Al sunset q batlaNon was
FORMED. consisting. first. OF the nalNe
band, then cur detachment of lJltA men,
last. Of two companies of tllplnos.
The march was then taken up, ana the
procession moved to tAe b3rracks' where
al was reauy for the raising OF The cOlors.
At the command all came 10 present
arms. the band pla1 ed the national am,
and the stars and stripes were injured
% the breeze. / venture the assertion
that this was the first ute raising M the
PHILIPPINES in which native soldiers
united with our troops to DO II honor.
Afterwards they manifested the Avelicst
pleasure a. what HAD been done, many
saying. We are AN American now
While perhaps autn occurrences ass ms
amount 20 but little in themselves, 70
serves 10 show tnat al our labor is not
in vain and One moral effect must pe icit
sooner cor iaicr everywhere. These peO-
pie. belng Nlscdt pms. are nor fo lonl OF
war ass are tho Tag3is of Luz0u and the
northern islands of thc archipelago, ANA
from Them less opposition was 10 De eN-
our troops Except tile regular recruits
are standing thc climate better than
might Doe sIpposca-iar better man YOU
IN the States hove been lod 20 believe. 10
u ifNe tiHA iNf i'HI iNfllNn now "NtiFNie
campaisulne sSief greatly from ~eNhaue-
don and beat. as they move even in the
hottest nsrt of the dav. when the suns
rays are terrible in their intensity. ln
this,sG pany of about eighty there Is an
-aVeragNo of three SICK. with heavier duty
tie gickNMst mounts rapidly.
A BIGGER REGULAR ARMY.
And. noW,NwEat are We go 90 for troops
10 garrison hlc towns and cities already
held ard 70 complete the task
~ s~ubhlcatlns che resl2 With a regular
army Of 600 men we cannot 90 %. be-
cause troops are needed I'm our other pos
sessions and in the States. You viii
doubfless san. hv raising volunteer reel-
ucnts. But have you thought the mat
ter over deeply ana cfreiullyR For my
n.rf I hone the United states VIII never
oresrize another force OF That name
There Is and can be no question as GO the
nghting qualities Of the American Nolun-
toer. re g. a prince among uGhtiis men.
Eut they require months OF hard work
to become effective. ana oulNE lnls pc,
,loa they suffer from the ignorance and
l-ncomoetency OF their officers The resu-
lar recruit does not. lie soon becomes y
mart ~ what may DE called a Wel-oiied
ioachine. The volunteer has no one 20
show sim for his Officers are men like
himself called from civil life, and in
uauV cases utterly unfit 70 exercise COM
maud. Who suffers In this casef The
enlisted man. as a matter OF course. And
hen. bx some still more radical error. all
appointments are IN the hands of state
Executives. so hat a man may serve ever
40 worthlly I'm the Philippine me yet
when a vacancy occurs II ~ nlled by, a
polftic.an 1900 miles away, ana VINO
-. ..tttp. 81 the merits NJ the re