The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-07
Rebels Active i'm Batangas ard La
MindOrO, Cebu and BohcI Islands.
LITTLE WARFARE ELSEWHERE
DISTURBED DISTRICTS ARE Diff
CULT TO FULLY PACIFY,
Because the Country Is Rough and the
Natives Pose as Amigo and
Foe i'm the Same Hour.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6-The War De-
partment to-day made public the first an
nual report of Major General Adna r.
Chafee, military Governor of the Philip
pine islands. General Chaffee sums up the
situation from a military point of view by
stating that the provinces of Batangas and
Laguna, in Luzon, and the islands OF Sa-
mar, Mindoro, 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 warfare OF the rebels, who
are amigo and foe in the self-same hour,
to the humanity Of the troops, which is
taken advantage of by the rebels and the
inhabitants who sympathize with them,
and to the fear of assassination on the
part of the friendly disposed II they give
information to the American forces, is
due the prolongation Of the guerrilla war
fare.
Commenting on the plan of gradually
replacing military with civil administra-
ton, General Chaffee says: THE with
drawal of interference with civil affairs
does not contemplate withdrawal Of the
troops from their station to any consid-
cradle 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" He therefore recommends that
there be further material reduction of
troops before January, 1903. The civil gov
enments which are being organized-pro-
vincial and municipal-General Chaffee
says are both new and untried, and there
is but one certain and reliable method of
ascertaining the progress Of the Filipinos
in self-government, namely, observation by
the army.
On the subject of the military govern
ment of the city of Manila, General Chat
fee says: "In the government of Manila
for three years, if the military have done
nothing more, it is everywhere apparent
that an excellent foundation has been laid
and a turbulent and hostile community
brought to observe the laws and individual
ly be orderly. This has been done without
undue harshness or severity Of treatment
of the inhabitants
In anticipation of a partial concentration
of the troops in the Philippines next year
General Chaffee submits estimates of cost
for the construction of quarters and bar
racks. He recommends that a permanent
post be constructed at once in the vicinity
of Manila for garrison of two squadrons
OF cavalry, two batteries of artillery and
two full regiments of infantry, together
with hospital and stOrehouse, the whole
to be under the command of a brigadier
general. He gives $4,000 as a rough esti
mate of cost for this project and says that
100000 should be available Immediately in
order to take full advantage Of the dry
season. For the construction of perma-
nent quarters at other points which may
be determined upon during the fiscal year
ended June, 1903, he estimates 100000 is
General Chaffee devotes a good part of
! his report to the terrible disaster which be-
! fell Company c. Ninth Infantry, at Balan-
! giga, Samar, and which, he says, was
! largely due to overconfidence in assumed
! pacitied conditions and in a people who, to
a great extent, as yet are strangers to and
/ unappreclatlVe OF our humane and personal
/ liberty, beliefs and actions" American SOL
! diers, he says, fail to discriminate between
! real and assumed friendship on the part of
! the Filipinos.
A table is submitted showing that since
! June 10 last, the date of the last table sub
| mitted by General Macarthur, up to Sept
! 10, 36l Filipino officers and 1858 men surren-
/ dered TO the American military and 20 Off
! GERS and 494 men were captured
In an appended report Gen. j. Z. Sanger,
! inspector general of the division of the
/ Philippines, in speaking Of the discipline of
! the troops in the islands. notes a commend
/ able absence of excuses and serious in
fractions of the regulations, but says there
! is great room for Improvement in the mat
/ ters of dress, demeanor and show of re-
/ spect in saluting superior officers the criti-
! cism applying TO officers as well as soldiers.
/ Judge Advocate General Grosebeck says
! that the suppression of brigandage 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
! marauders he says there would be no doubt
| of their final suppression, but the incoming
! of civil government complexities the situa-
ton very considerably
Great attention is paid in appended re-
| ports TO the subject of the prevalence of
venereal diseases i'm the army of the Phil
/ ippines and the vigorous measures taken
TO segregate dissolute women, and by rigid
! physical inspection, guard against a spread
| of such disease.
With his own report General Chaffee sub
mits those or the commanders of the mill
tary departments in the Philippines and of
the heads of the several staff departments