Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-11-15
DEATH RATE GROWS.
Gen. Macarthur Gives Startling
Statistics of Army in Luzon.
Guerrilla Warfare Is DecimatIng the
Ranks of His Splendid Armv-DurIng
Six Months Of Present Year the
Death Rate Was Al Per Day.

Washington, Nov. 12.-Mai. Gen.
Macarthur, commanding the army in
the Philippines and military governor
of the islands since May 5. 1899, has
partment. A considerable portion of
the report relates to events which
took place previous to the date when
he assumed command, and he pub
fishes some of the correspondence and
proclamations of the Filipinos OBJ
tanned before that time. He refers to
the change in AguinaldO's plans in
abandoning his army organization
and starting a guerrilla warfare. The
conditions of the country have af-
forded advantages for such a policy,
he says, as they have enabled the
insurgents to appear and disappear
at their convenience. At one time
they are soldiers, and Immediately
after are within the American lines
in the attitude of peaceful natives.
A widely scattered formation of Fill
ipinos quickly followed the guerrilla
warfare which led to a corresponding
dissemination of American troops,
there being So military stations in
the archipelago November 1, 1899, and
413 stations September /, 1900. This
affairs, many of which did not as
sumo the dignity of a regular COM
bat, though the casualties between
the dates stated were 268 Americans
killed, $50 wounded and 55 captured,
the Filipino losses during the same
time being 1927 killed, 694 wounded
and 1864 captured.
Gen. Macarthur says the extensive
distribution of troops has strained the
soldiers of the army to the full limit
of endurance. He says the apparent
desultory work has demanded more
of discipline and as much valor as
was required during the period of
regular operations against cOncen-
trated field forces Of insurrectionists.
Gen. Macarthur speaks in the high
est terms of the service rendered by
the troops amid all labors and hard
ships. Continuing, he says:
The Filipinos are not warlike or fe
rocious people. Left to themselves
large number would gladly accept Amer
lean supremacy which they are grad
ually to understand means individual
liberty and absolute security in their
lives and property. They have been mad
dened however, during the past five
years by rhetorical sophistry, and slim
u1ants applied to national pride, until
power of discriminating in matters of
public concern or private interest has
been almost entirely suspended. AS
substitute for all other considerations
the people seem to be actuated by the idea
that in all doubtful matters of politics
war men are never nearer right than
when going with their own kith and
kin, regardless of consequences.
The effort to institute municipal gov
eminent under American auspices car
ried the idea of exclusive fidelity to the
United States. But this met with diff
culties where Filipinos were placed en-
tirely in control and secret municipal
governments were organized in various
towns under insurgent auspices to pro-
coed simultaneously with the American
government and often through the same
personnel Presidents and town officials
acted openly in behalf of Americans and
secretly in behalf of the insurgents, and
paradoxical as it may seem, with con-
siderable apparent Solicitude for the in
terests of both
In June, 1900, out of a total of SO, 284 troops
there were 1858 sick, or $40 per cent.
The number of deaths in the army has
steadily increased, and diTninution Of the
death rate can scarcely be expected.
The number of men shot from ambush by
some guerrilla bands now exceeds those
killed at any previous time and as time
progresses and the men become more
and more debilitated by the tropical
service the more marked will become the
ratio of deaths. For the six months
from January 81 to July 81, 1900, there
died "a officers and 81 enlisted men, of
whom four officers and 204 enlisted men
were killed in action, and three officers
and 43 enlisted men died of wounds, the
other deaths occurring from various dis
eases. There is an average of AT daily.
The war has impoverished the native
population and the native army has
drawn all available medical supplies and
native physicians and there has been
great suffering among the outlying res
idents. There is a scarcity of medical
officers in the Philippines.
There is in operation in the island g.
al miles of land and cable lines with
315 offices in direct communication with
Manila.