The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-26
PACIFICATION In A YEAR.
Gen. J. L. CgtIin. Retired, writes of
Conditions In the Philippines.

Adjutant General Corbin has receives
from Gen j. J.. Catlin, a retired army
officer now in Manila. an interesting let
ter regarding conditions in the Philip
pines General Catlin says:
| Nmle as a matter of course the col
iisions between our forces and the re-
treating and disappearing bands of guer'
| rlila-lnsurrectos continue to be quite fire.
quent, II is also true that they were never
so reientlessly and ceaselessly pursued as
during the last two months. Every volun-
teer regiment has seemed DESTROYS OF
| Placing to its credit additional honor and
fame before returning to the States, and
none mas lost any opportunity to. give
glorious account wherever possible. and
| hence the enemy has had no rest.
Ana now with the positive knowledge
! that the American people have at last
provided an army sufficiently large to
confront any exigency at home or abroad,
ana That 1t means unconditional surrender
or death TO every armed foe in the Phil
! ippfue Islands. j do not think it possible
| that even any organized guerrilla war
| fare will be carried on after the expira-
ton of another twelve months. At any
rate II will be so insignificant that the
work of establishing a stable government
ana introducing American schools and
American courts Of justice, and giving
self-Sovernment to the extent that may
be found practicable. will not be seriously
impeded."
General Catlin calls attention to the eff
tort of General Macarthur to bring about
peace and says: 1.-THE general proposes to
utilize all the forces of civilization here
TO help solve the problem of government
fefu
Peace League in its incipient stage which
Is holding its first NEE ing now The OBJ
ject of the society is to bring the influence
OF the leading Filipino women of the ISL
ands to bear upon the leaders of the in
surrection to lay down their arms and
submit to the Government of the United
States"
General Catlin refers to report cur
rent in Manila that the Secretary of War
contemplates visiting the islands and
adds that in his opinion it would be of
great service to the solution of the prob
lem in Manila. Regarding the Philippine
Commission he calls attention to the ne
cessity for perfect accord and co-opcra-
tion between the "quasi-civil and the mil
itary branches of the government" and
declares that no advance can be made
by the civil commission until the way
mas been cleared by the military branch
OF the service and until assurance of that
fact is made to appear satisfactorily to
the commission"
This simple statement" he adds.
shows the necessity for perfect agree
ment and understanding between the Gov
ernor General and the civil branch of the
military government and authority The
organization and growth of the Federal
party will be great factor In the effort
10 establish local and general government
for the Philippine Islands. A native
comes down from Martinique and reports
that the people of the whole island are
favorably considering the propositions of
the Federal party. and a day or two
after he is followed by Colonel coIliss.
of the Second Infantry. who corroborates
him substantially in every respect. And
so it goes from island to island and pro-
vince to province. The most remarkable
part of this federal movement is the
judgment and discretion of the average
native in being willing to eliminate the
question of religion.
Il have had favorable opportunity to
see the average Filipino at work in large
numbers. | went carefully through the
differen. departments of the navy yard
at Cavite, in which none but Fiiipinos are
save in one of the blacksmIth
shops, in which Chinese are employed
Nearly three Thousand Filipinos are en-
ployed in this yard in different capaci-
tles-some as laborers. but a great many
more in skilled employment and l was
simply amazed at their ingenuity or
rather their imitativeness.
Lieutenant Campbell, of the Thirtieth
Volunteers, informs me that in the car
and engine works a great number of
tilipinos have been employed in recov- |
ering great quantity of wrecked en- !
sines (steam) and cars, destroyed by the /
Insurgents, and that they have shown |
great reconstructing ability in this line,
md will place all the cars and engines in |
'ull operation in 3 short time. to the ad- |
fantage of the transport service through |
)ut the island.
In closing General Catlin says: Il have !
seen and talked with at least a hundred /
officers Of the army. regular and volun-
-eer, and l am proud to state that I'm
an instance have / heard any I
sentiment of dissatisfaction expressed |
With the SerYiCa or Treatment hnre p