The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-29
THE FILIPIN0S IN WAR.
LIGHT ON THEIR CHARACTER FROM
THE RECENT BATTLES.


Ignorant of Modern Fighting Meth
Ods-Boasts in Place of Courage
AguinaIdO's Government Made IL
of BOys-ExampIes of Trenchery
Their CrucIty-POOr Makers of q
Republican Government.
From the New York Evening Post.
Manila, p. l.. Feb. 12-After a weel
OF such fighting as was never before
heard of in The Philippine Islands. have
been enabled to complete my diagnosis OF
the Filipino character. had observed II
through six months Of peace and prepare
ton for war, and it required only the test
of actual conflict with comhatants and
the relations with non-combatants grow
ing out Of IT, to present him in all his
phases and moods The conclusion is that
he is indeed poor material from which
to manufacture one acceptable American
citizen. His instincts, habits. modes OF
thought and physical characteristics are
none OF them such as would be desira-
bic, either in the original package or In
mixture such as has been going on here
for many years with Spanish blood as
the diluting ingredient. Spanish blood it
is true, is not so good for that purpose
as the Anglo-Saxon. and a few genera
tons might witness an improvement in
the quality of the mixture: but under
the most favorable circumstances FIJI
ipino strain In the blood would detract
from those qualities that have made the
Anglo-saxon what he is, the dominant
force in the worlds progress towards
true democracy.
Physically. the Filipino is small, though
athletic. The men range in hight between
five feet and five feet six inches. with
occasional exceptions both above and be-
low those extremes the women ranging
about three inches lower The man has
a deep chest and good lung development
He is strong for his size and capable of
considerable physical effort, yet much in
disposed TO make il, and not possessing
a disposition for prolonged eXertion, being
utterly devoid of the faculty of steady
persistent pegging away at things, so
characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon. This
has proved a serious weakness in him as
q soldier
The American faculty of fighting ell
night and all the next day has both sur
prised and demoralized him. 1t was the
custom of Aguinaldo's army when fight
ing the Spaniards, TO make night attacks,
resting in the day time. Night after night
while we were encamped at Cavte last
July, waiting for enough troops TO arrive
to render the advance upon Manila advis
able, the sounds of conflict were borne
to our ears across the water some six
miles from the scene of fighting. The
incessant rattle of the Filipino fire at will
was punctuated every few minutes by a
volley from the Spanards and the heavy
boom OF the guns on Fort Malate At
first we took these battles seriously, and
supposed that CORY fields were being
strewn with the dead of both armies; but
no wounded came back to the hospital
nor were there any other evidences Of
nature of these conflicts, and they were
the subject of much joking among the
men. 1t was found that the Filipinos kept
few men in the trenches In the day time
the heat of the day being their hours for
the tropical siesta, but as night drew on
their soldiers struggled back to the
trenches in ones and twos, to be ready for
the nights work.
The Spaniards' policy of remaining
strictly on the defensive, to which they
were compelled TO adhere by the small
ness OF their numbers and the fear that
their native troops would desert If taken
out into the field, rendered this style of
warfare possible. About or 10 o'clock
the Filipinos would open up with ter
rifle musketry fire against the Spanish
intrenchments varying from 500 TO 1000
yards distant, and pretty soon the Span
iards would reply with Mausers, machine
guns and artillery. Neither side could see
the other, and both fired high, owing to
the fact that neither ventured to put their
heads above the edge of their entrench-
ments, For an hour or two this fusilade
would be kept up, and then the fire would
gradually die down, and peace would reign
until the next night. II was amusing to
see the Filipinos staggering about and
telling how many Spaniards they had
killed, how valiant they were, and how
they were going to capture the city the
next Sunday Even boys 10 to ~ years of
age etrutted around with knives strapped
20 their waists, and declared their in
tention of cutting the throats of all Span
iards. We learned afterwards that in all
the warfare with the Filipinos the Span-
iards did not lose one-ffth as many men
as they did on the day the Americans
the city.
80" ""S WV seSiN Oh HSHlHlB the E1liDi-
nos were accustomed to, and when the
Americans advanced against them and
rushed them time after time, and kent II
up all day long they were unable to stand
II, and broke ground hastily whenever the
American lines advanced. Deprived of his
siesta and compelled to fight or run. the
Filipinos was out-fought, and showed
clearly his lack of staying qualities.
Physically, also, there is a faint of dis
ease in the Filipino blood that renders IL
undesirable for mixture with the Ameri-
can. Go where you WILL in country or
city, evidence of this may be seen on every
side. Scars, blotches, white spots. scabs
and running sores can be seen on young
and old; not on all. but upon so many
that IL gives one the impression of being
general. This Is more noticeable in the
children, whose bare limbs and bodies.