Evening star., 1900-11-13
CAN NOT SPARE A MAN
GEN. BATES SAYS THAT HIS PRESENT
FORCE IS NEEDED.
Progress of Civil Government in the
Department of Southern
LuZOn.

copy of the annual report of General
Bates. commanding the military depart
nent of southern Luzon, P. L., has been
ceved at the War Department. In review
ing the conditions of his department, Gen
eral Bates says. in part:
Throughout the department civil gov
ernment has been established as far as
practicable under existing conditions. In
nearly every town occupied by the troops
some simple form of government has been
adopted. That instituted under general
orders, where in force, has been continued,
while in other places that order has been
followed as far practicable except in
the selection OF town officials, who are APP
pointed by the commanding officer instead
Of being selected as prescribed in the or
der. Gy this means officials have been
obtained who. at least in the opinion of
the commanding officer. are friendly to the
American government This has been done
because it has generally been found i'm
possible to hold the necessary elections.
But few towns have been able to organize
under general orders from the office of
the military governor, the requirements
necessary for qualification as electors un-
der that order being such that repre-
sentative number of voters cannot be OBJ
tanned. This condition will improve as the
country becomes pacited
"A great obstacle in the way of the sue
CeSSfuI establishment of civil government
Is the difficulty of getting good men among
the inhabitants to act in official positions
ing TO their fear of bodily harm at the
hands of those who are inimical to the
United States. This condition will also
improve aS time passes and the country
becomes more quiet, Work in this direc
ton must necessarily be slow and its
suits must be awaited with patience.
Collection OF Revenue.
THE collection of theinternal revenue tax
in the department has been placed in the
hands of certain officers detailed for that
duty. These officers are: supreme super
visor for the department.. collector for
each military district in the department
and a sufficient number of local collectors
to cover the territory. Since the 1st of
July the work of extending the collection
OF this TAX throughout the department has
| been commenced. Before that time the
tax was collected in a few of the larger
| towns, but no attempt had been made to
make this collection general. Many diff
cuities have been met owing to the few
officers available for This duty and the dis
turbed condition of the country, but taking
everything into consideration, the work is
progressing satisfactorily.
Present Force Needed.
| Il regret that l cannot recommend the
| reduction Of the forces in this department
| by much a single soldier. The duty Of
occupation. in fact, renders necess sary a lar
| ger number of troops tran would be need
| ed in conducting campa. gn against organ
| lied forces with the soc object of destroy
| ing the enemy's army. A single battalion
! can today march from one end of this de-
| partment TO tAe other without encuunterinS
| enough Resistance from the enemy to i'm
| pede seriously it's progress, but small
parties of t.oopS cannot leave the garri-
sOued posts without mourning a danger OF
attack, Whlch wares lnVerseiy in its de-
! gree OF pr liability with the size and evil
! Gent Wig. lance OF tle detachment, Inc in
! surrectUs after making an attack dispeIse,
assume c.NiIIan garb and cOncs al themselves
! among the peaceabIe inhabitants often TAX
| ing up their residence and continuing their
! cons p racy in towns occupied by our troops,
! where they terrOrize the mass of inhab-
| itants by Threatening cond:gn punishment
| to those who display friendship for Ameri-
! cans When captured and again set free
! they have SHOWN their lack Of appreciation
| of the policy of magnanmity by agan APP
! pear.ng in arms against US at the first op-
| portun ty.
THE necessity of ferreting out, running
! down and Furnishing this hostile minority
! of the population whose members endeavOr
! to conceal under a cloak Of patr otism their
! real character as p:undeIers and criminals,
| and our moral obligation to protect our
| friends, render It necessary to have troc Fps
| stationed at all places where civil govern
| ment is established: for the absence OF
| troops means the presence of anarchy. 1t
| will doubtless be a long time before any
| dim mutton can be made in any OF the gar
| rlsons Of this department.
Praises His Troops.
| I'm closing my report 1 wish to express
| my appreciation Of the courage. energy.
cheerfulness and sodierly qualities, gener-
| ally that have almost without exception
| characterized the officers and men of my
/ command under trying conditions of service
! and climate. TIE plan of filling the post
tions II field officers of the volunteer regl-
| ments with experienced and well-qualifed
officers has been productive of the happest
results. These officers. complimented by
! their seeC!iOn. are on the r mette, and
feeling that they have reputation to main
! tain, try to reach the h ghest pitch of mill
| taTy efficiency. They thus fitted to be
! Instructors and models to those under their
| command whose courage and zeal need only
be strengthened by military knowledge and
the stimulus of good example"
CHAPLAIN ROYCE'S CLAIM.