Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-05-16
is THIS WAR, OR ONLY PLAIN
KILLINGq


the Philippines, whether press dis
patches or official" communication
from the military recluse of Manil-
Ia as General Otis has been happily
styled, have been less in the nature
of reports of fighting done by our
troops than simple records kept of
the number of Filipinos killed by
them from day to day or week to
week. Thus on April "a and 25 we
had detailed accounts furnished of
the number of killed during the
week, including April 16, which
seems to have been a regular field
day for that sort of thing. Thus on
that day General Otis reported some
1874 natives killed at Batoc, in North
ern Luzon, by the troops operating
under General Young, our loss at the
same time being 2 killed and 4 woun
ded. A press correspondent, referr-
ing to the same affair, says that to
the numb Der killed by actual count
there should be added at least an
equal numer of natives who died
from their wounds owing to the lack
of surgeons and hospital appliances
among the Filipinos, the wounded
dying uncared for in the Jungle.
One thousand, according to this cor
respondent, was a reasonable estimate
OF the total of the Filipino losses in
killed, wounded and prisoners, as
against the killed and 4 wounded
on our side Officers arriving at Ma
nllla from Nueva Carceries, province
OF Camarines, in Southern Luzon.
give details of a fight stated to
have occurred there also on the 10th
of April, in which so Filipinos were
killed by detachment of the Forty
fifth Infantry, with two Maxim guns.
operating under orders from General
Bell. The Filipinos are described AS
being armed with bolos. or long
knives, and equipped with helmets.
coats and shields made of buffalo
hides. Ii Is naively added that the
bolo men never got near enough to
the Americans, provided with Krang-
Jorgensen rifles aud Maxim guns. TO
inhict any damage. Therefore. :"
proceeds the account, "none of the
Americans were even wounded" Ii
is added that General Bells two
regiments are hard worked clearing
the country. They meet many small
squads of bolomen. Last week they
killed total of l25.".
In another fight" a lieutenant.
whose name is given, it is stated.
with 20 cavalrymen cornered 80
bolomen In river and shot every one.
the bodies floating away" Further.
on the same lucky day-April 10
IN the PROVENCE of Albay three com
panles of the Forty-seventh Infantry
are reported having routed a large
force Of natives, mostly bolomen.
killing So" No mention is made of
any casualties" upon our side nor
OF any prisoners being taken. The
nature of the clearing up" operation
IN which our troops are engaged, as
well as of the sort of ''fghting"
encountered, may be easily inferred
from these occurrences in a week
The bolOmen appear to be easy game
almost too easy to afford
very exciting sport to our sol
dlers. The meagre details furnished
IN official reports and press dispatches
serve, however, to recall the state
ments contained In soldiers letters,
published earlier in the war" about
the fun to be derived from "pottine
niggers."
The question may be asked, How
long is this cruel and brutalizing
sport to be kept up? Until after the
election 1t may be safely assumed. |
Already Republican politicians are
quoting for Mr. McKinlev's benefit
the saying attributed to Abraham
Lincoln about the folly of Swapping
horses while crossing the stream"
We all understand that Mr.. Mckinley
is the steed that has dragged us into |
these turbulent waters and exposed |
the Repu bic to the imminent dan.
ger of being swamped or swept away |
by the stream. There are many who
Will fail to appreciate the wisdom
OF following such an unsafe guide
Vnfn hnno. \