The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-04
Troops viii Be Kept In Philippines
For Long Time.
NO REDUCTION IN NUMBER
SEVENTY THOUSAND MEN ARE
THERE NOW.
Although It Is Claimed the .Insurrec-
ton Has Been Crushed, the Rebels
Organizing Guerilla Bands Viii
Continue to Give Much Trouble
Organization Of Governments.

New York, Jan. IA special to the
Herald from Washington says: There
Will probably be no reduction in the
military force now in the Philippines
for at least six months. Including ali
arms of the service there are now in
the islands g., 900 soldiers in edition to
about 200 marines at Cavite and about
5,000 sailors on the warships. The to-
tai Of the fighting forces is thus fully
900 men.
The war department wishes to avoid
the mistake made when General Otis
first took command, Of Understanding
the difficulties to be encountered and
the policy is to be followed of having
more men than are needed rather than
too few.
Army officers on duty in Washington
believe every satisfactory progress is
being made in crushing the insurrec-
ton. 1t is pointed out that General
Otis is doing the work Systematically
and having broken up the organized in
surgent forces in the north of LuzOn,
is giving his attention to those in the
southern part Of the island. It is ex-
pected that strong forces will have to
be maintained for some time in all
parts of the island to insure order and
protect the municipal governments be-
ing organized from rowing bands Of in
surgents and other disaffected natives
For these reasons there is to be no
present reduction of the military
forces.
Hope For Pacifcation
It is hoped that the paciffcation of
LuzOn and the organization of govern
ments in the other islands will progress
satisfactorily during the next few
months and that before the beginning
of the next rainy season, a consider
able reduction in force can be Fnade.
/ The policy in Withdrawing troops viii
be to bring those home first which have
been there longest.
General Otis is organizing local civil
governments in those parts Of the is
land under his control and it viii be
the policy Of the administration at as
early a date as possible TO organize and
/ put into operation over all the islands,
d civil government under the presi-
dents military authority.
As soon as possible after the compile
ton Of the detailed report Of the Phil
ippine commission, the president
wishes to send Colonel DENLY back to
the Philippines with two other commits
si0ners. As neither President Schur-
man nor Professor Worcester win be
able to return, two new men will be
( appointed. Before carrying out this
plan the president VIII consult with
the members Of the congressional COM
mittee charged with Philippine affairs
Hemp Ports Open.
The fact that the northern ports Of
LuZon have been thrown open to COM
merce and thar the president has ca
bied Instructions to General Otis to
open the southern ports where there is
hemp as soon as possible, shows conf
denee in the situation.
1t has been animated that hemp
spectators have used their influence
with army officers to keep the hemp
ports closed. II is said at the war de-
partment if any officer has been af-
fected by this influence it has not
reached General Otis.