New-York tribune., 1901-12-28
USE OF NATIVE TROOPS.
1T MUST BE THING OF SLOW GROWTH
MILITARY STATIONS IN THE
WEST INDIES.

WEST INDIES.
II ar exhaustive article The Utilization Oh
Native Troops in Our Foreign Possessions IN tne
current number Of THE Journal OF the Military
Service Institute" Captain Charles D. Rhodes
says:
No one who has had great deal to DO with ., the
natiye Filipino will deny that as sseeT tyPe and
that his regard for yeracty Is aosoiute6y d Ht roT
ises and. with oftentimes no personal interest in
the matter issue, 10 prefer to lie tnan 10 70
TELL the truth These national characteristics nave
not only been brought 10 light in the military ex-
Of The II last I hEse aT ag Of opf the are o
The FipnS is not naturally nat raj wa5se detas ct Of
atrocities committed by natives upon one another
and brought to light in testimony before the va va
uation that he places upon human life
Il would be irrelevant TO discuss here the causes
character II is enough to pear IN mlnd tnaI me
many any @ slaeG ceTis s ol bope that in due time
HIS desire for education, and his ultimate peTcep
on f hes Of fhe future G1 cur VIII slow
certain evolution in his attitude toward the United
But with such a universal estimate Of the FIJI
DnS ter by Re %hG 5 kOw soder s Of
tinted States should be of gradual growth
AS TO the native scouts in the Philippines. the
writer says:
Once committed to service under the Stars and
Stripes there have so far been few cases of dis
loyalty among the scouts. In fact, the scout dared
not go anywhere without his gun or pistol; aho mo
hands Of the insurgents. He was specially marked
hatred for his former companions became fierce
was their hatred for him In my own expert
dignaton which was created by the murder OF our
most valuable scout, an ex-major of insurgents IN
the centre Of garrisoned town. in broad day
light, within one hundred yards Of barracks ks
had ras1ly visited the Cockpit of fhe town and
when about 10 leave was struck down by three
nandant OF the district TO perform the dastardly
murder.
The regiment of native Porto Ricans which
organized soon after the island occupied is
epoken Of as "a fine body Of troops. taking great
pride in their organization and exhibiting marked
efficiency and zeal in the performance of military
duty
In the same publication Major W. A. Glassford
has sn interesting article the selection Of suit
able military atoms in the West Indies in the
course Of which he says
The people Of this country naturally shrink from
the responsibility Of governing these tropical coun-
tries and providing the necessary military forces
have placed them. and will exert themselves In
This direction only so far as conditions make inter-
IT must now be plain that our security is pest SUD
served, not by many and strong fortihcatons de-
power on the sea. An increase of naval strength
should always follow an extension of trade and
the acquisition of outlying territory, and outlying
the other hand the number and fortified strength
of posts in distant colonies will depend upon our
own comparative naval strength. A superior naval
power would probably once blockade our i'm
portant island stations with their feet, and that
feet would have To be met by our meet The apli-
tty of such stations to hold out would in the end'
depend on our navy, .-,,..--. H..
.ion it is evident that the safety of our colonies
and the protection of our foreign commerce depend
may be greatly increased by judicious selection of
call upon the United States TO exercise military
control over large part OF the West Indies; 1t It
certain points favored by their strategic situation
Islands SUNNI - ' O'-''''
Not only because outlying posts increase our vul-
less to nuTe US % IN our 9nr own terTtory II I
climate, which is always unfavorabe to the North
should be as few as possible few strategic points
jn the West Indies would practically serve the
the Islands themselves and be much less expensive
A glance at the map of the West Indian Archi-
points should be chosen in the neighborhood of the
we Constitute @tary ne Of defsnce S @ TeacRn Te cRn
from Key West to the Virgin Passage distance
posts on these straits alone would be equivalent,
in military point of view to the extension of the
The strategic Importance of these straits cannot
great part Of the commerce enters or leaves the
them almost the entire navigation Of the West West
Indian waters can be watched. Also in view OF
their Importance is still more enhanced, as being
IN direct line between Europe and the isthmus
the greater part OF European traffic via the canal
will pass through them.
Between these passages is the island Of San
Domingo. containing populations which could under
no circumstances be of any to the United
states In time Of war, but they might be detri-
mental Left wholly at their disposition, some of
the magnificent seaports of this island could be
easily seized by a European naval power in time
or war and used at a base for offensive
operations against the United States. Considering
the nature OF the population in this island the
same measure OF precaution must be taken as re-
garos IL as rs now observed toward those of the
other Islands, and for similar reasons because in
81 that part OF the West Indies not controlled by
Europe we are practically responsible for good gov
ernment; hence this population must ultimately as
Is the case OF Porto Rico fail under the control of
the United states, or come under its supervision
not advisable TO allow strategic positions uhicI
might be seized and fortified by an enemy in time
ways Of commerce. o -AisH-
. On examining the coasts in the neiebho o+
ne Windward and the Mono passages II IS found
that te most suitable places for the establishments
oi stations In these localities are Mole ST NicboIas
Aho Sanane Bay, on account of the superior he ~
bOre WIN oeep entrances, and the aciii+ias
Nhcn are found near them. No other sItes COW
parable TO them can be found near these nasssga
ways. o passage
NO MIDNIGHT MASSES NEW YEARs EVE
II has been officially announced that tbera ,-,,,