New-York tribune., 1899-11-17
OPERATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES.


Now that Aguinaldos war in the Philippines
has, according to that agile marauuer own "u
mission. dwindled into nothing but sporadic
brigandage with no seat of government orgun'
ized army or plan of campaign, interest III inli-
tarv operations there has perceptibly ana hatu-
rally waned campaign against an organiZeu
insurrection commands attention A mere hun'
after wandering and fugitive outlaws becomes
tedious TO observers at the other slde OF 'no
world. Nevertheless it will be worth whlie no"
and then to look over the ground ana see Where
our troops are and what they are ABOUT for
upon these topics, 1t is to be feared, generai III
formation is not precise. In fact, vast amount
Of misinformation and misconception, not 10 sd!
deliberate misstatement, is eXtant. lt mas Deeh
said. for example, that all our troops are masseu
Of Manila and are having MI they can do 10
loon the rebels from raidlng that city itself, ana
that their utmost ventures carry them scarcely
beyond its walls. Wherefore wonder Is eA-
nressed that so many soldiers should be needed
TO hold n single city, and people ask, II that is
so how many will be required to pacify the
whole archipelago.
Now. the fact is that the operations OF the
army in Luzon extend over vast territory in-
cluding many thousands of square miles ol
mountain plain and swamp Take, Tor eA-
ample. General Otis's dispatch of yesterday
printed in this mornings paper 1t mentions
dozen places which are included in the neld Oh
operations OF Generals Lawton and MacArlhur'
Not one of them is anywhere near Mania. Inc
nearest is fifty miles or more away, While san
Nicolas and Urdaneta, beyond which our troops
have gone. are more than twice that distance.
Between General Lawton at San Nicolas ana
General Macarthur AZ Bamban the distance is
sixty miles or more. Those are not enormous
distances. but they are considerable In a coun'
fry with scarcely any roads. and indeed In
region which has hitherto never been fully sur
veyed or explored. But they are not all. Otner
places far more distant have also been involved
in the operations of the army. some Of them sew
eral hundred miles from Manila. The total field
of operations is not much less IN extent 'hah
that of the war In South Africa.
Have we then. so great military TASK OF
hand as might be reckoned from the geographi-
cal features of the campaign? by no means III
his admirable address at Chicago the other even
ing Professor Worcester made clear a point
which is too often overlooked Our large force
is needed not TO cope with any force Aguinaldo
can nut into the field but TO do police work over
n large extent Of territory. TO protect the lnhaol-
tants from the depredations Of lawless raiders
Suppose the State of New-Jersey to he deprived
of roads and covered with swamps, 1ungles ana
unexplored forests. yet dotted with hundreds or
villages aggregating large population. and IN
tested nv n dozen or score of bands Of savage
raiders of a hundred or so men each. perfectly
familiar with every nook and thicket in all the
State and particularly swift and cunning In
their movements How large an army Of men
who were entire strangers to the country would
he required TO protect all the villages from be-
ING raided and to trap or destroy the outlaw
bands? That is precisely the sort of problem
which is now being solved by our troops in the
Philippines