New-York tribune., 1901-03-26
TO VISIT PHILIPPINES.
TRIP PLANNED BY SECRETARY ROOT
AND GENERAL CORBIN.
THEY EXPECT TO SPEND MONTH IN THE
ISLANDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF STUDY
ING THE MILITARY SITUATION.
TPT TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

of inspection. They will accompany the Presi-
dent to the Pacific Coast in May. and unless
something now unforeseen occurs to interfere
with their plan they will take an army trans
port at San Francisco for Manila At the pres
ent time there seems no doubt that General Cor
bin will make the trip although Mr. Roots
mind is not yet fully made UP, nor can it be until
he knows the condition of the public business
after he reaches San Francisco and feels that
there are not likely to be any unusual demands
on him in the War Department to make the long
trip to the Philippines and return inadvisable
If Mr.. Root leaves the country Assistant Secre-
tary Sanger will be at the head of the War De
partment until his return, and General Corbins
duties will be performed by Colonel w. H. Car
ter his chief of staff
The trip would keep Secretary Root and Gen
eral Corbin away from Washington fully three
months and possibly four. Leaving San Fran
cisco the middle of May on the fastest trans
port available. they could not arrive in Manila
before June 4 or s. 1t is their purpose to stay
at least a month in the Philippines, so that
they could not start for home before the first
or second week in July, which would land them
in San Francisco in August.
TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE ISLANDS
The principal object of the trip is give
Secretary Root and General Corhin oppOr
tunity to study the military situation in the
Philippines at close range. so that they will be
better prepared to deal with the problems Of
| military management and administration in the
archipelago they may be developed in the
future by the rapidly changing conditions.
They are not displeased or in any way dissatis
fed with General MacArthurs management Of
the military establishment under his command
or with his conduct of operations in the field.
On the contrary. both in a civil and military
sense, they are much pleased with General
MacArthurs administration and are greatly en-
! couraged by the evidences of progress he is
making in suppressing the nsurrecton and es
tablishing peace and order in the Philippines
But there various phases of the present and
prospective situation which the Secretary of
War feels he can better understand by
personal investigation than by studying
the most elaborate reports made by the admins
trative officers. The Adjutant-General keenly
realizes the necessity OF an intimate acquaint
ance with the topography and other physical
features OF the disturbed districts in the archi-
pelago. that he will be prepared TO grasp
quickly from the skeletonized cable reports that
reach his office regarding the operations of the
troops in the field what the meaning OF the
! man9uvre IS and approximately what result
has been attained by the rout or capture Of the
marauding bands.
Secretary Root and General Corbin will travel
over the islands extensively as the limited
time OF their stay will admit, and will advise
with the military authorities on the redistribu-
tion of troops 10 the best strategic points and
the establishment of permanent garrisons at
the healthiest locations consistent with the
present and future demands OF the service The
important matter of camp and garrison SANTA
tion will be carefully looked into. will also
the ration best suited to Americans suddenly
transferred 10 the tropics The subject of
supply and transport will also he rigdy in
vestigated with the view OF securing the best
possible service at minimum of cost.
To accomplish their purposes. neither the
Secretary nor the Adiutant- General will remain
any longer at Manila than may be necessary
TO learn the condition and the needs OF the
! harbor defences. They will penetrate into the
interior of Luzon and other nearby islands wher-
ever troops may at the time be operating. and
will thus learn from practical experience what
the daily routine of the American soldier
gagged in this hazardous service is and how his
comfort best be enhanced and his health
and safety best subserved. Their observations
and the recommendations that will grow out Of
them will be embodied in the annual report Sec
retary Root will make on the reassembling Of
Congress
FORCE LIKELY TO BE REDUCED.
Aside from these general phases an object Of
specific interest which it is confidently believed
early reduction Of the military force in the
Philippines Adiutant- General Corbin said TO
| a correspondent Of The Tribune to-day that he
felt certain the number of soldiers for service
in the Philippines soon could be reduced TO
! forty thousand. There have been as many as
seventy thousand in the archipelago since the
outbreak of the nsurrecton. and existing plans
in the War Department, based on the repre-
! sentations of present and probable needs made
! by General Macarthur. contemplate the main
| tenance Of a force of sixty thousand for in
! definite period. General Corbin, however, is
! strongly impressed with the belief that the
! conditions at an early date Will warrant the
! withdrawal Of ut least twenty thousand men,
! leaving forty thousand to deal with the situa
ton a soldier in the Philippine, he says. costs
| the government 81 600 year. BY the reduction
| of the force to forty thousand he declares that
! net saving to the government OF about So
| 100000 a year can be accomplished with no
/ danger to the country's interests in the Philip
| pines II Is evident from General Corbins talk
! that he is convinced that the insurrection is
a about ended, and the only necessity for an army
! in the Philippines in the near future will be for
| garrison duty. ~ ooo
men withdrawn from the Philippines or that
may not be sent there at all after their enlist
| mont in the new regiments stated by
/ General Corbin. In view of his statement,
! however that Of the purposes of the reduc
tion is to cut down army expenditures $4,000
0nO in the next year, ii is inferred that the
withdrawn from the Philippines will be dis
/ charged from the service. This he done
under the authority vested in the President bv
| listed strength of the army TO 100000 men
| whenever in his judgment there is a demand
tion Of the army in accordance with this law
! the President has the option either to skeleton
! ize number of regiments for home service or
| to reduce the numerical strength Of the regi-
| mental company organizations. That he will
| follow one of these plans at no distant day is
| evidenced by the foregoing statement from Gen