The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-07
CONDITIONS IN
THE PHILIPPINES
General Chafes Makes Report
to War Department.
NATIVES NOT TO BE TRUSTED
URGES THAT NO FURTHER RE
DUCTIoN IN TROOPS BE MADE.

Washington. Dec. 6.-The war de-
partment made public the first annual
report of Major General Adna R.
Chaffee, military governor of the Phil
ippine islands. Governor Chaffee sums
up the situation in the Philippines
from a military point of view by stat
ing that the provinces of Batangas
and Laguna. in Luzon, and the islands
Of Samar. Mindora, Cebu and Bohol
constitute the area now disturbed By
any embodied force of insurgents. He
says that to the physical character of
the country, to the nature of the war
fare Of the rebels, who are amigo and
foe in the selfsame hour; to the hu-
manity of the troops, which is taken
advantage of by the rebels and the in
nabitants who sympathize with them,
and to the fear of assassination on the
part of the friendly disposed if they
give information TO the American
forces, is due the prolongation of the
guerrilla warfare.
Commenting upon the plan of grad
ualiy replacing military with civil ad-
ministration, General Chaffee says:
The withdrawal Of interference with
civil affairs does not contemplate the
withdrawal of the troops from their
stations to any considerable extent: on
the contrary, this should not be done
hastily. and, when undertaken, should
be gradual and more in the nature of
concentration than reduction of force
or abandonment Of any considerable
area Of territory.
No Reduction Of Troops.
He therefore recommends that there
be no further material reduction of
troops before January, 1903. The gov
ernments which are being organized
provincial and municipal-GeneraI
Chaffee says, are both new and untried,
and there is but one certain and re-
liz bic method of ascertaining the prog
ress Of the FilipinOs in self-gOvern-
ment, namely, observation by the army.
On the subject Of military government
of the city of Manila, General Chaffee
says:
In the government of Manila for
three years, if the military have done
nothing more, it is everywhere appar-
ent that an excellent foundation has
been ldid and turbulent and hostile
community brought to observe the
laws and individually to be orderly.
This has been done without undue
harshness or severity of treatment for
the inhabitants"
In anticipation of a partial cOncen-
tratiOn OF the troops in the Philippines
next year, General Chaffee submits es-
Inmates Of cost for the construction of
quarters and barracks. He recon-
mends that a permanent post be con-
structed at once in the vicinity of Ma
Mia for a garrison of two Squadrons of
cavalry, two batteries Of artillery and
two full regiments OF infantry, together
with a hospital and stouehouse, the
whole to be under the command of a
brigadier general
Cost Of improvements.
He gives $500, 900. as a rough estimate
Of cost for this project and says that
100000 should be available immediate
~, In order to take full advantage of
the dry season for the construction of
permanent quarters at other points
which may be determined upon. Dur
ing the fiscal year ended June, 1903 he
estimates that s., 600, 900 is required.
General Chahee devotes a good part
Of his report to the terrible disaster
which befelI company c, Ninth infant
~, at Balangiga, Samar, and which,
he says, was largely due to over con-
fidence in assumed pacific conditions
and in people who, to a great extent
as yet, are strangers TO and unappre-
ciatlve of our humane policy of liberty
Of beliefs and actions"
American soldiers, he says, fail to
discriminate between real and as
sumed friendship on the part Of the
FilipinOs.
A table is submitted showing that
since June 10 last, the date Of the last
table submitted by General Macarthur,
up to Sept. Is, 361 Filipino officers and
1888 men surrendered to the American
military and twenty-six officers and 4S9
men were captured.
Discipline of Troops.
In an appendix report General J. P
Sanger, inspector general of the di-
vision of the Philippines, in speaking
of the discipline of the troops in the
islands, notes a eommendabIe absence
of excuses and serious infractions of
the regulations, but says there is great
room for improvements in the matters
Of dress. demeanoF and show Of respect
in saluting superior officers, the criti-
cism appealing as well to officers and
soldiers.
Judge Advocate General Groesbeck
says that the suppression Of brigand-
age in the Philippines most probably
will be one Of the trying problems of
the future. If the military arm was
left free to deal with the maurauders.
he says, there would be no doubt of
their final suppression, but the incom-
ing civil government complexities the
situation very considerably.
With his own report General Chaffee
submits those of the military COM
manders in the Philippines and of the
heads of several staff departments.