Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-23
THE GLAMOUR HAS PEELED OFF.

giving information that was not per-
mitted to pass the censor at Manila or
the Secretary of War at Washington.
shows that really serious condition
exists in the Philippines. and foreshad-
ows state Of affairs that has been pre-
dicted from the first. The report in
question says:
over 300 United States volunteer Of
ficers have handed in their resigna-
tons to escape the arduous campaign
ing OF the rainy season in the Philip
pines, and all were refused
IF all the officers who desired were
permitted to resign there would not be
iifteen officers loft to Il regiment"
When the officers are unanimously
resigning 1t is not difficult to conjecture
what must be the sentiments Of the
men in the ranks. 1t is plain that the
utmost Generalization must exist in
the service. and the American army in
the Philippines is finding the work little
enough TO its taste. When the charac-
ter of the work is considered, this GER
tainly. is far from strange or paradoxi-
cal, and is rather complimentary to the
officers than otherwise. The amount
of blood-letting that has been done
would naturally. one would suppose.
fall upon the American. when the cause
and circumstances are considered.
Whatever exhilaration may attach to
war as n Dastime. or whatever OF in
SEPARATION the soldier may find in the
knowledge that he is rlsking his life
and enduring untold hardship in con-
test for the safety of his country, are
hardly to be found in the struggle in
the Philippines. The hunting and har-
rowing of men must have either one of
two effects-it transforms the hunter
into brute or inspires him with a
disgust OF his trade. With the volun-
case.
The reason for the concealment OF
this Generalization of the Philippine
army is sufficiently obvious. Like the
doctored dispatches of Otis. 1t was in
tended to keep the American people In
the dark as to the true, situation, and
to facilitate the campaign of the syn
| dicatcs in the United States, and in
the Philippines. There Is a vast diff
ference in the political value of a.
war in which the soldiers are repre-
sented as immensely enthusiastic in
| upholding the dignity of the flag and
of n struggle in which they engage
with the utmost reluctance and disgust,
that the political debts of the Republi-
can party may be paid off; that an ever
fresh crop of Neeys and Rathbones
may follow to reap a rich harvest of
loot and that the trusts may REIN
burse themselves for campaign contri-
buttons.
In the meantime, at home. the
situation In the Philippines finds its
counterpart in the falling off in
the number OF enlistments. The raw
ages of disease and the bullets Of
tho enemy require that one thousand
sip hundred ncio men should be enlisted
| for the scrricc each month. For the
month of March, the last for which the
data is obtainable, there were but $50
| enlistmcnts. The persistence of this
discrepancy would force the Imperial
lists either to Increase the inducements
offered to volunteers or to resort to
the draft. When the time of the pres
ent volunteers expires, how are their
places to be filed? The glamour has
| peeled off the Philippine war. and the
trouble in replacing it.