The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-29
TREACHEROUS
INSURGENTS.
Continued from First Page1

unteers returned to the United States. |
The withdrawal of the volunteer forces
will weaken his command by about 15-
900 men, while he will receive in regu- |
lar troops less than 5000 men. Presi- |
dent Mckinley is disappointed because |
the war was not ended several weeks /
ago. All the territory captured by
American arms, except a small section
Immediately around Manila, will be
evacuated and the American forces will
go into camp at Manila. This course is
made imperative.
The statement made by Gen. Lawton
after he had looked over the field upon
his arrival at Manila, that 100 900 men
would be required to take and hold the
islands, is recalled now. At the time
this statement was cabled here the ad-
ministratiOn was inclined TO doubt it's
accuracy. That doubt is now diSSipat-
ing.
Surgeon General Sternberg of the
army said today:
Il shall be very glad to have the
troops withdraw from the interior of
the country. An active campaign
against the rebels during the rainy sea-
son will certainly result in the troops
getting in the same condition were
those at Santiago. At Santiago the
men were compelled to dig up the earth
for trenches, and then stand and sleep
in water and mud. Their clothing was
wet by the rain and then a Scorching
beat down upon them. A campaign
our ing this season will certainly result
IN heaVy increase IN the SICK list. The
conditions in Manila at this time are
| almost exactly similar to those of San
! tiago.'
| of the war department has given way
| to feelings of apprehension. The grad
| ual withdrawal of troops from the
| north is known by army officials to
| mean the Abandonment of the territory
| which was only captured after hard
fighting and marching by the Ameri-
! cans.
An officer of the army, in discussing
/ the situation today, made the following
| terse remark:
ITO hold territory captured from the
! enemy it must be occupied by troops"
| This has been the disadvantage I'M
| der which Gen. Otis has labored. His
| men could drive the enemy out and
| capture towns, but the columns Operat-
| ing could not spare the men to garri-
! son and hold the places. Immediately
| on evacuation, the bands of rebels re-
| occupied the towns and have attacked
| the returning forces.
! Throughout administration circles the
/ feeling is growing that the additional
! $4,000 troops authorized by congress
| must be called for by the president.
! Secretary Alger is in favor of calling
for the troops and sending them to the
| Philippines. The president and some
| of his cabinet advisers are opposed 10
| the issuance of a call for volunteers.
| THE large standing army cry is
| what deters the issuance of call. The
| regular army now consists of only
| about So 900 men and of this number
| about half are either in service or I'M
| der orders to go to the Philippines. The
| remainder are scattered throughout the
| United States, Cuba and Porto Rico
| The situation in Cuba is not such as
would warrant the administration in
| Withdrawing any considerable force
| from the island.
President Mckinley has believed i'm
| plicitly that the could be ended
| without calling for volunteers. He con-
] tinueS in the hope to the present time
| Gen. Otis fighting force, even after be
| ing reinforced by the regular regiments
! now under orders, will be less than 3d.
| 600 men.
John Barrett ex-minister of Siam,now
! in the city, stated today that it would
| require not less than 80 900 men to pacify
requiring 10000 If call for volun-
| teers is made, it must be within very
! short time. Army officers are of the
| opinion that some difficulty will be ex-
| perienced in getting men to enlist in
! organizations Differed by volunteers.
| Their experiences during the war with
| Spain were not such as to give them
| complete confidence in their leaders.
1t would require some time to recruit
| 50 900 volunteers and get them in shape
! for service in the Philippines. Accord
| ing to press dispatches, Gen. Otis has
| requested the volunteers there to re-
| enlist for an additional six months,
! authorized by congress. This fact alone
/ indicates that he holds the opinion that
! he will require the entire regular force
and also that of the volunteers to end
| the war.
| Owing to the urgent representations
| of Gen. Otis. the war department has
| ordered the Sheridan to sail on June
| with 1000 recruits nOw.at San Francisco
| These men will be used to fill the reg
| ular regiments now in the field. 1t was
| the original intention to have the Sheri-
! dan take the Nineteenth infantry on the
| 18th of June, but the urgency of the oc-
tcasion was such that the greatest pos
| Sible dispatch is being exercised in send
| ing reinfOrcementS.
The fact that a strict military censor
fleaf1
| as evidence that Gen. Otis desired the
| fact that he wanted reinforcements to
| become generally known. His censor
| has permitted dispatches making this
| statement to pass. The censor also
| passed the dispatch attributing trouble
| between President Schurman and Gen.
Otis
| Diplomatic representatives of the
| state department say that unless trou-
| BILE existed between Schurman and Otis
| the dispatch would never have been per-
mitted to be cabled.
! Army officers decline absolutely to
| permit the use of their names in connec-
| ton with the situation in the Philip
pines. They admit priVat ely that con-
! ditions are not what they should be,
| and. Furthermore, that the situation is
| extremely grave. To criticise the cam
| paign or policy of the administration at
| this time would be equivalent to court
| martial and dismissal from the service.
| President Mckinley today informed
/ prominent member of congress that adj
| ditiOnal men would be sent to the Phil
| ippines and then an aggressive cam
| paign would be waged against the
] rebels. This statement was the result
! of a conversation with the member who
| said the people OF his state were tired
| of fighting the Filipino with "a sword
in one hand and dove in the other
] This statement of the president is
! taken to indicate that the additional
| So 600 volunteers will doubtless be called
| for to be ready to go to the islands in
| Septemher which is the end of ;he
/ rainy season. The president also stated
| that he was of the opinion that the peo-
| in fax