Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-10
Gen, Macarthur Reports on Opera
tons in the Philippines,
AGUINALDO'S change OF POLICY
Many FiIipinos Would Yield to
American Supremacy.
OLD METHODS SWEPT AWAY

mandng the army in the Philippines and
military governor of the islands since May
:. 1900, has submitted his report to the War
Department A considerable portion of the
report relates to events which took pace
prior to the date when he assumed COM
mand. and he publishes some of the CORE
spondence and proclamat.ons of the Fill
pinos obtained before that time. He refers
10 the change of plans of Auglnaido in
abandoning his army organization and in
auguratlng a guerrilla warfare. The con-
dltlons of the country have afforded ad-
Vahtages for such policy, as they have
: ''nabed the Insurgents to appear and dis
Ippear at their convenience. At time
hey are hostiles and Immediately after the
within the American lines in the attitude of
peaceful natives w4de.y scattered forma-
lion of Filipinos quickly followed the
guerrilla warfare, which led to a CORE
spending dissemination of American troops,
: mere being ffty-three stations in the arch
ipelago November /, 1889, and Alb stations
september l. 1890. This resulted in large
number of minor engagements, many of
which did not assume the dignity of a reg
MAR combat, but the American casualties
ietWeen the dates stated were 2tiS killed,
30 wounded and ffty-fiye captured. The
Filipino losses during the same time We're
'.22I killed, 6s4 wounded and 2.Siii captured.
General Macarthur says the extensive
1 distribution of troops has taxed the soldiers
Of the army to the full limit of endurance.
lie says the apparent desultory work has
demanded discipline, and as much
valor was required during the period of
regular operations against concentrated
field forces of insurrectionists. General
Macarthur speaks in the highest terms of
the service rendered by the troops amid all
iabOrs and hardships.
FiIipinos Would Like to Yield.
The Filipinos, says General MacAr-
thur. are not a warlike or ferocious peo-
pie Left to themselves a large number of
srhem would gladly accept American
premacy, which they gradually coming
TO understand means Individual liberty and
: absolute security in their lives and proper
~. They have been. however. during the
past five years maddeued by rhetorical
sophisty and stimuianLS applied to national
pride until power of discfiHlinat Gg in mat.
rers of public concern private interest
has been almost entirely suspended. AS
substitute for all other considerations the
people seem 10 he actuated by the idea that
i'll all doubtful matters Of politics
men are ne r nearer right than when GO
ing with iE' = own kitE and kin. regardless
% COnSeq nces.''
This condition. he says. has raised diff
CclteS ana Instructions in pacifcation. The
effort TO institute municipal government I'M
der American auspices carried the idea of
exclusive fidelity 10 the United States. but
this met with difficulties where Flipinos
We're placed entirely in control. and secret
municipal governments were organized in
various towns under inSuTCent auspices to
\
governments ard often through the same
personnel. PrcSasntes and town officials
acted openly in behalf Of Americans and
secretly in behalf of the Insurgents. land
paredoxtcal as it NAV seem. with consider
able apparent solcitude for the interests
tof both
Support of Guerri!Ia..
Wherever there is a group of insUrgent
forces contiguous towns contribute to their
support, and render great assistance in Sc
creting the soldiers and helping them to
escape. He says the success of the guer-
ri.Ia system depends upon complete unity
VI action among the native pOpula ton, and
such unity is frankly acknowledged but
now it is brought about he Is unable to as
. certain. Intimidation has done some thing
but fear alone would not be successful
He explains this by saying. "It is more
probable that the adhesive principle comes
from chronological EOmngenei;y, which in
duces respond for a time to the ap-
peals of consanguineous leadership, even
when such action is opposed 10 their own
interest and convictions of exnediency."
He says that this applies to the entire
archipelago. excepting that portion of Min
d&nao occupied by Moros. and the Jolo
group The Mpros seem entirely satisfied
with present conditions.
illuminating the People.
General Macarthur gives captured CORE
soondence to show the efforts of the in
surgent leaders to intinIdate and control
the people. He declares that the guerrilla
bands could not exist except for the sup
port they receivee from the towns. He
says that the education of the Filipinos
Will tend to secure their sub mission.
1t Is great pleasure to report" says
p. General Macarthur. that all indications
point directly to such contamination in
which light it would seem that the inter-
ests of all concerned would be best sub
served by maintaining the present status
and waiting for the silent but irresistible
operation which tn
working formula means amiability. patience
and an adequate force"
He says that the Spanish colonial ad-
ministration has been swept away a re-
publican machine must be established to
take its place.
: The New Regime.
In closing his report General Macarthur
says:
The easy and convenient way of exercis-
Ing sovereignty in the east has been, wher-
ever possible. to govern and speak through
the mouth of some organized native govern
ment hereditary ruler d method where
oy perpieXlng problems have been easily
solved by merely letting things alone and
allowing the old machine TO run. subject to
such observation and control only
necessary for the material interests of the
Suzerain power, In the Philippines. how
ever. the Spanish colonial Administered. on
mas been swept away. and must be sub
Stituted by something entirely new. That
Is to say a republican machine must be
Created as wei as luDricated. managed and
repaired as necessary; manifesty a much
= more difficult task than starting an old
machine. on substantially old lines and to
all intents and purposes letting it run it
self Being new construction of origi-
nal character, the inherent difficulties are
greatly increased and emphasized by the
fact that no nation can serve US as an ex-
emplar. for none has encountered problem
= Of precisely the same kind.
Supported by Western Energy.
Under the very best results heretofore
, accomplished. by process of modern IN
genu!ty in rehabiHtating the old machines
OF the east, 1t IS doubtful if there is one
oriental establishment created by western
power that could survive five years If the
paramount energy should be Withdrawn.
In other words the cohesive element in all
instances arises exclusively from the con-
slant application of external force.
PROM the present posture of affairs 1t Is
inevitable that the expression of American
power in the Philippines must result IN
planting republican institutions throughout
the archipelago, accompanied by all the
safeguards OF personal. political and reli-
gious liberty, which alone possible I'M