Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-02

report brmal and open resistance to
American authority in the Philippines
| had practically terminated, and the
| Filipino insurgent forces had adopted
a system Of guerrilla warfare. To
| successfully contend against this con-
| dition AID o suppress it, to afford pro
| lection to the peaceful and unarmed
| inhabitants, and to reestablish local
| civil governments had necessitated the
! distribution Of our forces to more than
400 stations This process continued
until maximum of 500 stations were
occupied, holding every important
town and strategic point in the ARCH.
| pelago. The scattered guerrilla n.
surgent bands obtained funds and SUP
plies from the towns and the country
in the vicinity of their operations. The
people thus contributing to the support
of these guerrillas had been rarely in
terfered with. Prisoners taken in bat
tie had been disarmed and immediate
ly released
This policy had been adhered to IN
the hope that it might make friendly
neighbors of the natives, but, on the
contrary, they seemed suspicious of
this beneficence, and looked upon it as
an evidence of weakness 1t was
| therefore decided to apply more rigid
lyto the residents of the archipelago
the laws of war touching the govern
| ment Of occupied places. Notice of
this intention was given by a procla-
nation. 1t was followed Immediately
by the deportation to the island of
Guam of SO prominent Filipino insur,
gent army officers, civil officials, in
surgent agents, sympathizers, and agi-
tatorS.
The field work of the army was con.
tinued with renewed vigor throughout
the entire archipelago with such tell
ling results that, with the exception of
Lukban in Samar and Malvar in south.
ern Luzon, all prominent insurgent
leaders with their commands were
captured or surrendered The opera
lions of the field forces were so tunre.
lenting that more than 1000 contacts
occurred between our troops and the
insurgents from May 1900, to June 80
1901, in which the insurgent casualties
were: Killed, 1854; wounded, LOB;
captured, 6,572; surrendered, 23,095;
with total of 1858 rifles and nearly
100000 rounds of small-arms ammuni-
ton acquired and surrendered. Our
casualties were: Killed, 245; wound.
ed, 490; captured, 118; missing, 20.
The officers and men have been equal
to- the best requirements, not only Of
military service, but of the civil ad,
ministration with which they were
charged in all it's details from the date
of our occupancy in August, 1898, I'M
til the Inauguration of civil governor
on the 4th of July, 1901 The recent
disturbances in Samar and southern
Luzon are of minor consequence, and
are being stamped out by the vigorous
operations of the troops Small dis
turbances of this character are, unfor-
tunately, to be expected but will be
controlled and guarded against by
every means possible
The army in the Philippines has
been reduced since my last report
from 1857 officers and 71,727 enlisted
men to I'LL officers and 42,128 en-
listed men. When the organizations
now remaining in the Philippines shall
by the force of ordinary casualties
and expiration of enlistments be re-
duced to the numbers established by
the order of May 8, 1901, the total en-
listed strength of those organizations
exclusive of hospital corps, will be 3d.,
079 men. 1t is the design of the de
partment not to subject any of our
forces to the effect of a tropical eli.
mate for longer period than three
years without an intervening tour of
service in a colder climate With the
reorganized army we are getting into
a position where this can be accom-
plished Systematically as a matter of
routine.
The policy indicated in my report If
last year, of creating a native Philip,
pine force which shall in time release
a large part of the American army
from the necessity of remaining in the
Philippines, has not been neglected
Small bodies of scouts have been en-
larged and multiplied until there are
now 1878 in the service. AS com
mand in these bodies requires special
qualifications for dealing with the ma
tive soldiers, all the appointments of
officers (98 in number) have been
made upon the recommendations of
the commanding officer in the Philip
pines.
Reduction of Expenses.
The military administration in the
Philippines has been simplified and
made less expensive by the reduction
of the number of military departments
from four to two. The quarter
masters stores and the military hospi
tails have been concentrated. The
quantity of bulky fodder shipped from
the United States to the Philippines
for the cavalry, artillery, and trans
portation animals, which now number
n hor, LOo l.