The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-15
An Army Officers Views.

IN the PnlNppines are heartily IN raNof
OF retention OF those islands by the
United States; and II liz the uniform
testimony Of such officers that the in
surrection there has been fostered and
kept alive by the reckless talk Of the
so-called anti-imperiaiists in the Unit
ed States. In the endeavor TO break the
force OF this unanimous testimony. It
is a favorlte argument that the per-
sonal interests OF the officers of the
regular army lie in the direction OF a
retention Of the islands.
In recent number Of the Army and
Navy Register is letter from an off,
Ger OF the regular army stationed at
Montalban, which throws a broad light
on the manner in which the interests
of regular army officers will In reality
be affected by a retention of the is
lands. 1t will be remembered that in
this letter the officer in question Is ad-
dressing his professional associates and
not the general public. He says:
Just think where an army officers
interests will lie. n we keep these Is
lands. 1t will mean that, In the thirty
years serve on an average In the
army, some twenty spent out here. and
II you can imagine anything really dreary
l will tell you 1t cannot come up or down
to the actual dreariness Of serving here.
Now we still have some of the novelty.
and now and then some excitement, but
that will soon dwindle to a minimum and
he grind ~ n fanlafed will
take its place.
This is how the personal interests OF
the army officers are affected 1t will
| always be necessary to maintain mill
tary forces in the Philippines. as II was
always necessary 10 maintain military
forces on the frontier. AS on the from
tier, those forces will consist OF small
isolated detachments, scattered over
vast area. In rare cases will more
than a brigade be stationed at any one
place. Officers will be compelled to
spend fair share of their lives with
| their families In little, lonely posts in
| the interior, subjected to all the dis
| comforts and dangers of existence in
the tropics. and with no such prospect
| OF the rapid accumulation OF wealth as
renders the life at least tolerable 10 the
man who is engaged In mercantile pur
suits In such a country 1t will be as
bad az the frontier posts OF earlier days,
| plus the additional dlscomforts Of a life
| in the tropics. Nevertheless, this army
| officer has no doubt that the govern
ment should remain IN the Philippines.
and this. ne says. is the view which ev-
cry army officer down there has. He
adds. significantly:
We are thoroughly convinced of II. and
! so would be every body who was here.
/ But people in the states I'm answering tho
| question ara usually COnNolled by per-
| soual motives n they could only get A
! better understanding Luckily tho people
| who are coming home now are more con-
| Versant and are better Judges, But this
| Is only lately. Tho people who have been
| coming homo and telling about the Phil
! ippiues were usually those who had not
/ been beyond Manila Ia a short time
| however people viii be coming HON. who
have been beyond the Immediate vicinity
| OF that pcsthols. and they will give an
entirely new version Of the country and
the people.
This army officer points ont that the
country ia beautiful and is capable OF
sustaining any number az Inhabitants
and rs wealthy Ia resources beyond be-
/ lief European merchants resident
there DO business on an enormous scale.
and with extravagant profits. although