The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-08

was full of men who needed constant
! watching. Some of our officers even said
| that Filipino junta was at work within
| our lines. 1t is unsafe any place beyond
| the outposts. and even in the heart Of the
| city a boloman recently attacked and de-
| capitated an unSuspeCting American sol
| dier.
| I'm Tayakas Province Il sort of local mill
| tia. called irreGulars is maintained secret
| ly in many of the towns in whicn our sol
| diers are garrisoned. and from .ncse c-gan-
izations the troops In the field are racruited
| to their proper number after fights in which
| losses are sustained.
| For instance, in Lakban. 4 town held by
| the Americans, there is an enrolled force
| of 400 irregulars. These men are professed-
| ly friendly. but neither they nor any ether
| OF the natives In town will give Il sirgle
| bit of information -rgirlinG the where
| abouts or movements of the insurgents ac-
, lively operating in the Provlnce.
| In Antimonan the natives are very lln-
| friendly to the American garrison. All
through the Province there IS general
| feeling which, while not openly hostile. is at
! least not sincerely friendly.
In Batangas, Iaguna AMI Tavi-e PROV
| inCes there are many bands operating. They
| rarely attack strong bodies ,s our troops.
| but they exist nearly everywhere in ;he
! district. threaten small bodies and render
! to travel about.
DO Not Understand Americans.
Some of our most promising local presi-
dertes have been found guilty of the rank
est treaChery toward the Americans. 1t is
! doubtful whether they hated the SpaniardS
as much as they hate the Americans. Be
tween them ard the Spanards there were
some instincts ard ties in common. Inter
marriage very frequent. Long asso-
citation has grated irto the native character
many of the habits and likes of the Span
lard With the American 1t is different.
There is not an impulse common TO the two
races. We may mean well. but they don't
| understand our ways. Neither do we un-
dcrstand theirs. When patience and for
bearance would be immensely effective. the
American methods hurry and irritate the
people.
when we first came they thought :he
Americans We're going to supplant their re-
ligiOn with Professionalism. Later they
thought that the Americans We're going to
reinstate the hated friars in the parishes.
Now 1t IL hard to tell what they think.
Perhars they've come to the conclusion that
religion cuts little figure either way, for
they have been unspcakably shocked to see
the American theater running full blast
during the holy week. with good attna'iance
from our local society circles.
I'VE send out big expeditions to capture
the insurgents. and when we have captured
them we rele1se them. One day our soldiers
wade streams. climb mountains. suffer from
hunger sleep in the mud-all to catch some
insurgents. The next day all the insurgents
are released. IT'S no wonder the natives
don't understand American methods.
I'VE have been here now two years. but l
don't know of an American soldier or OFF,
Ger who can speak Il single native dialect.
Furthermore. no one is making an effort TO
gain the one requirement which would be
50 nestimably valuable in bringing about i
better understanding between the Ameri-
cans and the Filipinos.
summarizing the present military stua-
ton, we must acknowledge the existence
of many strong armed forces operating in
nearly every Province. These forces while
apparently acting independently of any
central direction, are too big to be called
robber bands. Many OF them are under the
command of men who have been well known
as insurgent leaders since the very first day
of fighting.
AS for the mass of people not sympathiZ-
ing with them and helping them financially,
there are only too many evidences that they
do"