The state herald., 1901-02-22
Conlmoner Comment.
Extracts From W. J. Bryan's Paper

GENERAL MAC ARTHUR'S REPORT
The annual report OF Major General
Macarthur, U. S. ". commanding, d.
vision of the Philippines, military gov
ernor of the Philippine islands, is
very interesting. 1t makes two large
volumes and is full OF statistics and
other information. 1t presents num-
ber of facts heretofore carefully con-
cealed and just as strenuously denied
by the authorities at Washington. 1t
is not possible within the limits OF an
editorial review to mention even 4
small portion of the interesting mat
ters discussed and the valuable infor-
nation furnished By General MacAr-
thurs report. The report is dated
Manila, p. l., October !, l900," and 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 oI
the soldiers serving in the Philippines
have been tried by summary court
martial and about is per cent con-
victed. 1t is also shown that pei
cent of the soldiers are in the hospital
from one months end to another. VI
the hospital cases 2S per cent are due
to the malarial fever. The death rate
is 2S per 1000 per annum. This is rath-
er large when it is remembered that
the soldiers were selected with view
to their physical fitness.
Here is very interesting paragraph
Interesting to those who have loved
ones in the Philippines:
The number of deaths in the army
has steadily increased and diminution
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 as time progresses and the
men become more and more debilitated
by tropical service, the more market
will be the ratio Of Deaths
This is the country that is to Offer
such wonderful opportunities for AM
erican settlement
Another very interesting fact is set
forth by General Macarthur in the
following words:
Wherever. throughout the archi-
pelago, 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
'Imns of guerlllas, but as affording Sc
c-re 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-
drcc a smile.
General Macarthur has been in the
Philippines something like two years.
Alter eighteen months service and Cb-
ssryation there he wrote. under date
OF October l, 1900, the following
words:
The Fillpinos are not warlike or
ferocious people. Left to themselves
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 70
ity 10 their lives and property"
II seems that General Macarthur.
made another guess between October l
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 pacification apparent to me, bat
still very slow. Condition very inilex-
ible. likely to become chronic. | have
therefore initiated more ripld 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 II is too
much to expect that the administra-
iion organs viii be implicitly believed
every time they say the lnsurrectlon
is ended and the Fillpinos happy un-
der American rule.