The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-01-10
PROGRESS OF OUR WAR.

For some time past public atten-
ton in this country has been meas
urably distracted from the war in
the PHILIPPINES by the more sensa-
tionai news from South Africa.
While the conflicts with the Fill
pinos has been punctuated with
dribbling losses = including some
men, like Lawton and Logan, whom
we can i'll afford to spare-there has
been no such tale of slaughter as
has marked the progress of the
bloody conflict in Natal. While the
PHILIPPINE war is our own war, and
therefore of more direct consequence
to us, it is nevertheless, obscured by
the larger interests involved in the
British Boer war. The various
phases of the campaign in Luzon do
not affect the worlds markets, but
result of battle in South Africa is
felt in its effects upon every ex-
change or board of trade throughout
the civilized world. A British de-
feat depresses the price of all kinds
of securities and makes money tight,
because it argues d prolongation of
the struggle-and for the same rea-
son it should stiffen the price of
grain, but up to date the British de-
feats have not had any preceptible
effect in that direction.
But the time has come when the
PHILIPPINE war is assuming import
ance as a possible political factor.
The presidential election in this
country is approaching. The people
are inclined to strongly support
President McKinley's policy of in
sisting upon peace in the PHILIPPINES
through the submission of the in
surgent bands to American author
ity. They have placed in his con-
troll an ample force to compel such
submission, and they have right
now to ask for definite and tangible
results. The dry season is suppos-
ed 10 have set in on the first of De-
eember, and the roads ought by
this time to be hard enough to en-
able the American troops to act
with celebrity and effect. Gen. Otis
has for some weeks past been send
ing in news of repeated American
victories and has announced, more
than once, that the backbone of the
rebellion was broken; that the rebel
forces were split up into small
guerrilla bands, and that no large
force remained in any quarter. In
fact to read some of Gen. Otis
optimistic dispatches one might be
inclined to believe that nothing was
left >of the instruction but Agu1-
naldo fleeing in disguise and squads
ot demoralized natives scattering in
every direction, throwing away
their arms as they run.
But right on top of these pleasing
-heraldings of the virtual end of the
insurrection comes the publication,
on @ Years day, Of a dispatch
to the effect that reports from
native spies show that there are up
wards OF 1000 organized insurgents
under arms within mile Of linus"
thai tney are strengthening their
entertainments and possess artil-
lery;;" that at 'Noyaltie the Filipino
Entertainments have been much |
STRENGTHENED since Gen. Schwans
advance" that "a thousand of the |
enemy are in that vicinity and there
are 900 at San Francisco de Mala- |
bon3 " that from II to 100 garrison
ali the towns in the southern part of |
CaVite province, and the same NAV
be said of the towns in Batangas
province"
It must be admitted that this in
formation does not gibe with Gen.
Otis assurance that all organized
resistance on the part of the Fiji
pinos is ended-and it is time, in
beginning the work of the new year,
to inquire what Gen. Otis means?
Is he self deceived, or is he trying to
deceive the American people? He
ought to know enough to know that
he cannot deceive them long. If his
claims to having virtually subdued
the rebellion are unfounded the fact
will be known, NO matter what may
be the tenor of his official dispatches.
The American troops have now
some four or five months of good
L L /