Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-13
Necessary in Philippines to Replace
Volunteers Returning Home.
SUCCESS OF MACABEBEE SCOUTS
IIocanos Have Also Proved VaIu-
able as Auxiliary Troops.
AMERICANS OVERWORKED
Of the Associated Press.

AS the time approaches for the volunteers
to leave these islands and return to the
United States. in order that all may be
mustered out there by June 30 of next year,
the question of how to replace the depart
ing troops has brought the matter of an
armed native militia to general notice.
For more than year there has been in
the service of the United States a detach-
.nent of native Macabebee scouts, and their
work has in the main been satisfactory. 1t
is argued that other native fighting organ
izatfons can be used with as good result
as the Macabebees, especially If the author
tiles take advantage Of existing tribal ha-
treds and jeaious!es in selecting native sol
diery to operate against the Tagalogs. In
many Of the village garrisons throughout
the islands native inhabitants are being en-
ployed as a local police force to protect
their own villages against depreciation and
attack from robbers and other Indicators.
These local police are in some cases given
firearms and uniforms and they have at
times done effective work in the limited
field OF action allowed them. namely, the
protection Of their own homes. They have
also been used in operations against the
ern islands In Leyte they did good work
TWO months ago. when they helped eight
American soldiers repel a persistent in
surgent attack upon their town. and two
|
lfcemen went out alone against forty in
surgents scattered the enemy killing one,
and returned proudly to their town, with
TWO Of their number wounded. These are
the beginnings Of what must eventually
come to pass in the Philippines, namely, the
organization and use of native soldiers to
preserve order In the country. Just how
these men will be organized and differed is
not yet decided: but Maj Allen Of the 43d
Regiment, on Samar Island has lately been
given permission by Gen. Macarthur to or
sanize two companies Of Visayans for use
against the insurgents, and Col. Kennon of
the 3oth regiment. now stationed in Caba-
nathan in the Nueva Ecija province of Lu-
zon' has been experimenting along the same
lines with Ilocanos from the northern Dor
ton OF Luzon Island.
Natives Applied for Service.
In December Of last year about 900 Ilo-
canos came to Col. Kennon at Cabanatuan
and asked to enlist under the American
flag. Col. Kennon at once opened negotia-
lions with the corps headquarters in Manila
on the matter, and June 1 he was granted
permission to enlist fifty Ilocanos as scouts.
During this interim Of six months the 600
men were employed as far as possible as
road builders, ration carriers and guides.
The success Of this first detachment in the
service will probably soon lead to the en-
lstment OF other Ilocano tribesmen.
Between Ilocano and Tagalog there is a
fierce race hatred. The Tagalogs have
lorded 1t over the --Ocanos for years, and
have held them down and oppressed them.
But today the Ilocanos who pride them
selves on belonging to another and distinct
tribe from the Tagalogs have in a measure
accepted American sovereignty and are
itching for chances to get at their enemy.
This attitude of the 1locanos subjects them
to Tagalog reprisals and vengeance Last
month band Of insurgents caught three
Ilocano women and one man alone on the
road near San Jose in Nueva Ecija prov
ince. The man and one woman were at
aron lytt1 a1 w.. t1or
horribly wounded with bolos and then
buried alive in well, where american SOL
ders later found and rescued them. On the
borders Of the Ilocano-Tagalog country
sucn occurrences are common and go to
show the existing tribal hatred. 1t is this
hatred more than anything else that rem
ders the 1locano effective and useful as a
fighter against the Tagalog. Colonel Ken
mons scouts were at once put on the trail
OF the Tagalog party that buried the 10
camp women alive and they chased ana
nunished them.
The scouts have been active since their
organization. For the first three weeks
they were drilled by Americans and their
own non-commissioned officers. showing
much interest and pride and considerable
aptitude In this training. They were sent
June "a to the support of the American
garrison at Aliaga. threatened with attack
by 800 rebels. The following day twenty
two Ilocanos, scouting south of Aliasa IN
der command Of Lieutenant Jernigan Of the
34th Regiment. met sixty Of the enemy
and IN sharp night killed four. They put
five more of the insurgents hors du combat
June %, and June 80 seven Ilocanos and
tnree Americans met seventy Insurgents
and after killing three they retired for re-
Inducements and found Lieutenant Jerni-
gan, with thirty scouts, who promptly rout-
ed the Tagalogs adding to the rebel losses
thereby until the total number of the'ene
ny my ksleo oy tne hfty Ilocano scouts on
their nrst campaign reached seventeen.
May Need American Support,
Tn hot Reyhx
benefited by the moral support given them
by the presence Of Americans at their side.
They do better work when with the Ameri-
cans than when alone. They are not as
yet very good shots. and It Is sometimes
difficult to make them cease firing during
the excitement Of skirmsh. In the mat
ter Of getting information from the neonie
and finding hidden rifles they are supreme,
Ihey can look over a crowd Of Tagaloes
all loudly protesting their innocence and
friendliness to the Americana. and, with al
most unerring correctness, pick out those
who are active rebels from those who are
not: Lieutenant Jernigan. who has worked
with these new Ilocano scouts more than
be obedient and brave They do NOT njifer
or loot: they are better fitted than Arneri
cans for chasing down ladrones and bril-
gands. because they can live where an
American would starve, and they can travel
quicker through swamps and jungles than
can our soldiers.
1t has been Colonel Kennon's policy to
pursue the robbers and insurgents without
let-up, Their bands have been dispersed
In his district and they are not permitted
to organize; their chiefs have been killed
AM they are afraid to show themselves
with arms. All this work has fallen on the
Americans. and they are worn out and az.
hausted with the continual round of "hiks',
and guard duty, guard duty and hike !"
The Ilocanos are showing that they can re- |
lieve the Americans of some Of this most
arduous work.
their first duty was on outpost near Caha-
nathan. They at once abused the power
given them by making every TagaloT who
came along that road respectfully Sable
them. But as champions Of those who are
oppressed the American officers soon put a
stop to this practice
His Strong Point. |
From the PHILADELPHIA Praaa.