The Washington times., 1901-09-26
GoRBIN ON TIE PHILIPPINES.
Discusses Civil and Military Condi-
lions In the Orient

Discusses Civil and Military Condi-
tions In the Orient.
After Il tour of Inspection of military
posts In the Philippine Islands extending
over a period of three months. Adjutant
| General Corbin yesterday morning re-
turned to Washington and resumed his
| duties at the War. Department He Wis
tied the archipelago under orders from
| the Secretary of War to make thorough
inspection of the military posts. the
progress of the military authorities and
| to study the military conditions. The
object In view Is a reorganization of the
army on a permanent and economical
basis
Adjutant General Corbin Travelled
i throughout the entire island of Luzon and
visited the principal points occupied by
the troops He also visited the British
garrison at Shanghai and obtained con-
siderable valuable information from a
comparative study of American and
| English military. Speaking of the results
OF his trip yesterday Adjutant General
Corbin said:
1T certainly was gratifying to hear
them speak of our soldiers. They all con-
ceded the superiority of the American sol
| dier over those of any other country.
They praised his physique and his supe-
rior intelligence. /. myself. was greatly
surprised to find our soldiers in the Phil
ippines in such excellent health. ! think
l saw but two officers who were suffer
ing from the effects of the climate. Our
men are not only In good health. but are
| also in good spirits and everybody is par
ticularly hopeful of great things in the
Philippines in the future. 1t will take
time. Thee millennium viii not come in a
few days. 1t is going to come to the Fill
pinos, however. in the next five or six
years.
1T is to the rising generation that we
will look for results. Throughout the
| archipelago the natives are anxious to
learn English. Young manhood Is rapid
ly learning our ways and customs. They
evince the greatest aptitude and II is not
necessary to urge them to go to the
schools. Now when this generation which
is studying at the public schools OF the
islard reaches manhood, as they do at an
early age in the Philippines, they will be
educated to our ways and institutions and
will make good citizens. This is not go
ing to be done. however, without some
difficulties. You must not lose sight of
the past surroundings of the people.
ings of the man who viii periodically ap-
pear for the purposes of disorder and re-
bellion. They are not so conditioned that
they will recognize the errors of his
teachings at a glance. They have no
newspapers to warn them of his danger
GUS character. Why, in the whole of the
Orient there is not as much news pub
lished in one day as there is righ. here
in Washington. There are a few news
papers In Manila trying to forge ahead.
but they will encounter difficulties and 1t
will be some time before the people way
back in the interior can be reached in that
way
General Chaffee and Judge Taft are
doing a great work in bringing about
reconstruction There Will be great
change In the next year from military
government to civil. Already this change
has begun. The military no longer gov-
erns territory and it is no longer needed
as a force. l am of the opinion that
within another year the military force
can be reduced to about 5000 men and
they will be needed only for their moral
effect
1.-The people of the Philippines have had
nothing in the past but government by
force. They are now in a condition to
appreciate a more liberal form of govern
ment and our army will soon convince
the brigands and robbers of the noun
tains that their day is over. Conditions
in Luzon now are as peaceable as the
State of Maryland. 1 went everywhere
without any molestation- There was never
the slightest danger. OF course in some
of the islands conditions are not so peace
able. Away down in Mindanao and in
Samar, where our people have not come
in very close contact with the natives.
there is still some little trouble.
"Samar Itself is as large as the State
of Ohio. and it Is really the last of the
islands in which we have undertaken the
work of reform and education.
General Corbin explained that a reor-
ganization of the military system and a
retrenchment in expenditures has already
begun.
Our present plan contemplates rapid
consolidation of military branches OF
work" he remarked. "Quartermaster
General Ludington. Commissary General
Weston, and Surgeon General Sternberg
were in the Philippines. and they made
careful observation of the workings of
their respective departments. General
Sternberg decided that the number of
hospitals could easily be reduced from
seven to two. General Weston determined
upon a consolidation of the commissary
depots. Quartermaster General Luding-
ton has completed plans for consoiidat-
ing the quartermaster depotS at Manila
OF at pOllllS III lIt u
Then, We have made a change in the
organization of the military force. Here
tofore 1t has been organized into military
departments. but while in Manila, Gen
eral Chaffee and cabied Secretary Root
and received authority for the adoption
of a brigade system by which the force
is divided into seven brigades, each un-
der command of d brigadier general. with
full authority to control military matters
within the jurisdiction occupied by troops
of his brigade. Genral Chaffee is also in
favor of quartering brigade at Ma
Mia
How about reduction in the number
of garrisons?" General Corbin was asked.
That is another matter which was
taken up. The reduction of garrisons
really depends upon our ability to provide
quarters for the troops; and iila that is s.G now
eral Ludington is completing arrange
ments for the construction of garrisons
and when they are all completed think
that we will not need more than hall
dozen garrisons in Luzon. We are occu-
pying quarters now at about 35J diuerent
points, simply because We have not quar-
ters for our men in the principal cities
We are occupying churches and converts
and public buildings. The church people
want their property for worship and FOR
schools and we must give them up. we
cannot quarter our men. permanently IN
tents because the life OF canvas in that
country Is very short and besides the
rainy weather makes 1t unheathfui for
the men to live in tents
.'It will cost about s6o0,00o or 100000 to
pro,ide quarters for the permanent mill
;a-y force and this work will commence
81 aout delay. They will be constructed
Of Oregon pine and not of native timber.
T7-t, reason for this is that the native tim
r. IS valuable hard wood and really
more costly than pine shipped from this
c.GItry-"
BRITISH REBUINE.