The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-02-21
Co1nnloner Comment.
Extracts From ". J. Bryan's Paper.
GENERAL MAC ARTHUR's REPORT


GENERAL MAC ARTHUR'S REPORT
The annual report Of Major General
Macarthur, u. s. w., 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. It presents a num-
Der 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 n
small portion of the interesting mat
tiers discussed and the valuable infor-
nation furnished by General MacAr-
thurs report. The report Is dated
Manila, P. l., October /, 1900" and is,
therefore, we'll down to date.
Among other interesting facts fur
nished 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 Of
the. soldiers serving in the Philippines
have been tried by summary court
martial and about 10 per cent con
victed. 1t is also shown that 9 per
cent of the soldiers are in the hospital
from n months end to another. OF
the hospital cases % per cent are due
to the malarial fever. The death rate
is 20 per 1000 per annum. This is rath-
er large when it is remembered that
the soldiers were selected with a view
to their physical fitness.
Here is a 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 dabilitated
by tropical service, the more marked
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-
pe]ago, there is a group of the insur-
9SAs aAAaJ1 AZ 1 q l0CI, OCyOlu u1opuLCp
that all contiguous towns contribute
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 n of furnishing
supplies for the so-called flying COL
umns of guerillas, but as affording Sc
cure places of refuge"
There is something humorous about
this. The idea of a town garrisoned
by American troops "affording secure
refuge" for insurgents is likely to pro.
dGcc a smile.
General Macarthur has been in tho
Philippines something like two years.
After eighteen months service and ob-
%ssrvation there he wrote, under late
of October l, 1900, the following
words:
"The Filipinos are not a warlike or
ferocious people. Left to themselves
a 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.
ity in their lives and property"
1t seems that General Macarthur
made another guess between October 1
and December rs, 1900, for one the
latter date he wrote to the adjutant
general in Washington as follows:
Expectations, based OF result of
election, have not been realized. Prog
ress of %paciication apparent to me, but
still very slow. Condition very infiex-
ible, likely to become chronic. l have
therefore initiated a more ripid 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 it is too
much to expect that the administra-
ton organs will be implicitly believed
every time they say the Instruction
is ended and the Filipinos happy I'M
der American rule.