Hutchinson gazette., 1901-02-21
Con@moner Comment.
Extracts from W. J. Bryan's Paper
GENERAL MAC ARTHUR's REPORT

GENERAL MAC ARTHUR'S REPORT
The annual report of Major General
Macarthur, U, s. ", commanding, di-
vision of the Philippines, military gov
ernor of the Philippine islands, III
very interesting, II makes two large
volumes and Is full Of statistics ana
other information. II presents a num-
ber OF facts heretofore carefully CON
cealed and Just as strenuouBly denied
by the authorities Mt Washington, II
Is not possible within the limits OF an
editorial review to mention even u
small portion of the interesting mat
ters discussed and the valuable infor-
nation furnished by General MacAr.
thurs report. The report is dated
Manila, r. l., October |, 1900 ana Is,
therefore, well down to date.
Among other interesting facts fur-
nlshed Is one concerning the number
Of summary courts martial held In the
division OF the Philippines, The re-
port shows that about 20 per cent or
the soldiers serving In the Philippines
have been tried by summary court
martial and about Is per cent con-
vlcted, II IL also shown that per
cent of the soldiers are In the hospital
from one months end to another. Or
the hospital cases % per cent are due
to the malaral fever The death rate
Is 2S per 1000 per annum, This Is rath-
or large when 1t Is remembered that
the soldiers were selected with Il view
to their physical fitness.
Here Is very interesting paragraph
Intervening to those who have loved
ones In the Philippines;
"The number of deaths In the army
has steadily increased and diminutlon
Of the death list can scarcely be eX-
pected, The number of men shot from
ambush by small guerilla bands now
exceeds those killed at any previous
tine, and ms time progresses and the
men become more and more debilitatod
by tropical service, the more marked
will be the ratio of deaths"
This Is the country that iC to oifcr
such wonderful opportunities for Am-
cricnn settlement!
Another very interesting fact Is set
forth by General Macarthur In the
following words:
Wherever throughout the archi-
pelngo, there is a group Of the insur-
gent army, II Is a fact, beyond dispute,
that all contiguous towns contribute
10 the maintenance thereof, In other
words, the towns, regardless OF the
fact OF American occupation and town
organization, are the actual basis OF
all insurgent military activities; and
not only in the sense Of furnishing
supplies for the so-called flying col
umns Of guerillas. but as aifording Sc
cure places of refuge"
There is something humorous about
this. The idea of town garrisoned
by American troops "affording secure
refuge" for insurgents is likely to pro-
duco a smile.
General Macarthur has been in the
Philippines something like two years.
After eighteen months service and OBJ
servation there he wrote, under date
Of October l, 1900, the following
words:
"The Fillpinos are not warlike or
ferocious people. Left to themselves
a large number (perhaps a considera-
Bile majority would gladly accept Am
erican supremacy, which they are
gradually coming to understand means
individual liberty and absolute secur'
ity In their lives and property"
It seems that General Macarthur
made another guess between October
and December 25, 1900, for one the
latter date he wrote to the adjutant
general in Washington as follows;
Expectations, based on result OF
election, have not been realized Prog
ress of paci6cation apparent to me, but
still very slow. Condition very inhex-
ible, likely to become chronic. have
therefore initiated more rlpid pol
icy, etc, etc"
When the commanding officer OF the
Philippines does not know from one
month to another what the conditions
are in the Philippine islands 1t is too
much to expect that the administra-
tlon organs will be implicitly believed
every time they say the insurrection
is ended and the Fllipinos happy un-
der American rule.