The record-union., 1899-05-27
II the United States Expects to Maintain
Supremacy in the Islands.
The Inadequacy of the American
Forces Said to be Responsible
for the Large Loss in the Num-
Der of Small Encounters, With
out Material Result as a Com
pensation-Easy Enough to Cap
ture Towns, but No Troops to
Spare to Garrison Them.

MANILA. May 26-7:40 p. m.-The
past two weeks have emphasized the
need of much larger army here, with
out which, according to the best au-
thorities in Manila, it would be at
tempting the impossible to expect to
maintain supremacy in the Philippine
Islands. The inadequacy of the Amerl-
can forces is said to be responsible for
the large loss in the number of small
encounters, without material results
as compensation. Most of the hight
ing has been in territory which the
Americans had swept, but had been
compelled to abandon because they
could not spare troops to hold it.
The forces commanded by Generals
Macarthur and Lawton hold two inn
portant lines of communication and
commerce, the railroad to San Fer
nando and the Rio Grande River. But
much of the country they have swept,
including the scores of the smaller
towns and some of the larger ones,
have been left uncovered, simply for
the want of men to hold them and the
insurgents have returned and are oc-
cupying the towns the Americans aban-
doned, and are camping in the jungles
and woods outside the others. on the
watch for chances to harasS the garri-
sons and attack scouting parties or de-
tached companies with greater forces.
This is the kind of warfare they prefer
to regular battles.
1t appears that the F'ilipinos who at
tackled the Third Regiment between
San Miguel and Baliuag were part of
Pho Del Pillars army. They came from
the south, presumably to meet wagon
train which General Lawton expected
along the road. They also planned to
capture several large detachments, and
were placed in ambush at different
points They fired from the jungle at
a distance of 200 yards and gave the
Americans one of the hardest fights ex-
perieneed in the campaign.
The Filipinos lost more heavily than
the Americans in all the recent en-
counters. The insurgent Generals take
the loss of arms more to heart than
they do the loss of men.
Foreigners who have arrived here
from the insurgents country under the
recent order of expulsion, say the ceme-
teries in all the towns are filled with
fresh graves. A majority of the Fill
pinos wounded die because the insur-
gent hospitals are inadequate, medi-
cines are scarce and they have few
surgeons, except Spanish captives who
have been impressed.
The Spanish General Montero, while
on the way hither with the Spanish
garrison from Zamboanga, on the
steamer Leon Kill, died of wounds re-
celved in recent engagement with the
Filipinas in Mindanao
WASHINGTON AND OREGON
VOLUNTEERS.
WASHINGTON, May 26.-The Secre-
tary of War to-day sent the following
message to General Otis:
Many petitions are received to have
Washington and Oregon troops sent di-
rect to Puget Sound and Portland. This
can be done if the men wish it. 1t will
deprive them of the $50 to $50 each for
travel pay from San Francisco. Let d
vote be taken with this knowledge by
the regiments, and advise me-"