Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-03-09
WHAT is OTIS DOING
Rainy Season Again Near With Rebels
Not Whipped.

A special from Washington says:
For a long time so much attention has
been given by our Federal officials and
by the people generally to the British
Boer war that We seem to have lost
sight altogether of our " war in the
Philippines.
In the last few days this fact has
dawned upon the minds ofJsome Of the
War Department officials. They real
ize that for weeks the cables from
Gen. Otis have principally comprised
a list Of deaths among the troops from
disease, but scarcely a word about hat
ties, skirmishes or advances.
In fact. for all that is coming from
Otis, it might be concluded that all
operations have come to a standstill.
Meanwhile precious time is rapidly
slipping away and the fatal rainy sea-
son is once moro approaching. Two
or three semi-oficial statements have
recently been made to the effect that
the President would shortly issue his
proclamation announcing the collapse
of the insurrection apd dispatch the
new Philippine Commission on its
way.
But the President would SCARCELY be
wise to take such an important step as
this in advance OF some authoritative
and reliable intelligence from the com
mander Of the military forces.
Our land forces in the Philippines
number nearly 70, 900 men. We have
under the command of Admiral Wat
son an enor nous fleet Of IS vessels, in
Guiding the crack battleship Oregon.
formidable protected and unprotected
cruisers, heavy and light gunboats,
1.-THE great monitors Monterey and
Monadnock, etc.
This feet carries more than 200
guns, some of them of tremendous size
and strength. In the history Of the
American navy no such feet was eve1
before under one commander. Yet the
puzzle is. what is it doing?
Admiral Watson sends a cable to the
Navy Department every week or two
but when his dispatches come there il
nothing in them. Between such al
army and navy as we have against
these poor struggling Filipinos il
would seem as If more Roadway should
be made and some of the boastful pre-
dictions constantly made for the las
year be verified.
The British have large reinforce
ments on the way to South Africa
I but up to this day all their magnin
! cent fighting has been done with
force not much. if any, larger thai
} ours in the Philippines.
It is said and believed, while not off
cially corroborated, that intlmation
have just been sent to Gen. Otis tina
it would be desirable for him to sti
, matters up. It is recognized it will b
I a terrible strain upon Mr.. McKinle
) and his administrationif the insured
D ton is still unquelled when the Pres
idential campaign comes on.
Private advices from Manila rsceiv
I ed here intimate a very strong probs
, bllitv of just such a situation. Officer
I in the field, according to this inform:
4 ton. declare active hostilities will sti
! be in progress when the rainy seaso:
closes in.
To add to the embarrassment it
reported that Archbishop Chapelie an
I Gen. Otis are "out," aid that Ger
Otis has appealed to Washington 70
! a settlement of their differences. ]
J is said the Archbishop does not agre
with Gen. Otis as to what shall be don
. with the friars and the property claim
ed by them.