The National tribune., 1901-10-17
IMPROPERLY DRILLED.


After careful observation of the de-
tails which enter into the methods of con-
Quoting war in the Philippines, the writer
has come to the same conclusion that all
officers and others have; namely, that the
Filipino army is improperly trained for
carrying on war with civilized nations.
In the first place, the material is not
what it ought to be. An examination of
q company of native soldiers will show
that fully two-thirds are unfit to be SOL
diers. Some of the men in the ranks are
broken down through age, while others
are mere boys. Others are understood,
deformed, lack intelligence for drill, and
have defective eyesight, or are otherwise
physically unfit for the work they should
DO.
An officer is usually disguised with the
outfit at first glance, and unless his pa
tFiotism oYercomes his feelings toward the
motley mob, he will have as little to do
with the miscellaneous band as possible.
Consequently he will not take the right
sortDof interest in the men. He will not
drill them properly.
The Americans in the Philippines ar
range for two drills per day in the worst
sort of climatic conditions, and keep the
soldiers in better form as a result. The
FIRST drill is in the early morning, and
lasts about 80 minutes only, but it keeps
the men in training. Then another drill
takes place toward shutdown, when it is
cool
The officers of the native army are too
lazy to have any kind of drills. / have
seen many Of their armies, and for about
q month we were encamped within 500
yards Of their stronghold near Jaro, Pa
nay, where with glasses we could watch
their camp.
They had a crude guard mount, in
which some of the soldiers carried rifles,
while nfharc saaTnad m hara harnhnp ,.lnis
only. They paid no attention TO dress,
and no two were alike in this respect.
The officer would march the new guard
on, and in a few minutes send them off
10 relieve the old guard, without any in
spectiOn or apparent instruction.
1t is no wonder, then, that one morning
at daybreak, shortly after, our entire
army, consisting OF portions of the 9th,
18th and 26th Inf, and the artillery, were
able to move upon the intrenchments of
the unwary native army without being
detected by their outposts until it was too
late for them to do anything more than
form and fire into our already advancing
skirmish lines
The native army held it's ground about
an hour, pouring shot into our lines, but
we finally drove them out Of their trenches
and to the hills beyond.
If the Insurgent officers had properly
trained and instructed the outposts, it
would not have been possible for US to
surprise them as we did, and the tide of
battle might have been different. AS it
was, the Filipino army was completely
shattered at this point, and mainly be-
cause of poor outpost system.
SOLDIERS LACK INTEREST.
The officers are not wholly to blame. 1t
was the writer's fortune at one time to
form, drill and equip a platoon of recruits
selected from the ranks of the young
peaceful natives about IIoilo. The plan
was to use this body as a protection for
the town against ladrones.
The first day all were present, and the
novelty of the thing pleased the new sol
diers. There were two drills per day,
and the first ones were well attended. The
manual was taught and the native sol
diers were soon able TO 90 through it all
with English commands.
After the first week the men began to
fall off, and after a while il was difficult
to get more than half of them at drill.
Threats of punishment were of no avail
They preferred TO sleep and smoke TO
drilling, and that settled it. The worst
of them were dropped and new ones Sc
lecte6, only to have these fall off in the
same way in few days.
The officers of the regular native arme
have the same trouble. The native sol
diers seem to be too lazy to drill.
TOO LAZY TO AIM PROPERLY.
When / first came to the islands | was
told by officers who had already been in
contact with the Insurgents that the Fill
pino soldier need not be feared greatly
so far as being hit by him is concerned,
for the reason that he is too lazy to take
proper aim with his piece, and the bullet
goes up into the sky. | saw this demon
strated many times. Whole companies Of
rebels will load and fire as fast as they
can, and will not take the trouble to bring
the piece TO their shoulder, but will fire
from the hip.
They do not even take the trouble to
sight the piece, bit often clos. air eyes
as they shoot, and at once be..a loading
to fire again i'll the same shiftiess manner.
The result is that the clouds above are
well penetrated with bullets while the foe
continues TO advance in safety.
The FilipinOs got this idea from the
Z Spanish soldiers who deliver volley af.
ter volley in company and in battalion
formation, without bringing the rife high
er than the arm. 1t is said by the SOL
diers that this enables them to hold the
rifle steady, and SO it does, but all of the