Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-23
The Campaign in Sam II.

the island Of :;an,ar. Additionci forces
have already been placed AT the dis
nosal Of General Hughes, and these
are to be still further augmented. In
ton between the army and navy
American troops vii work The c1as;
lines. while tie campaign in the in
terror is to lie given over largely - the
Macabebes whose work in LuzCn
proved to be 80 effective. The ;ro3l.H
are taking every prcoaution against
surprise. keeping their iifies at pli
times within easy reach.
The question has been frequently
asked. and, ~ far as We have On
served never satisfactorily answered
by the military authorities, Why un, Us
operating under the conditions that
exist In Samar are not provided with
small side arms.
/, is not always convenient for SOL
diers TO have their rifles At hand but 4
,iei IN a belt would b. available al
WAYS.
Had members Of the 9Th Il. 8. In
fantry been thus equipped the massa-
ere Of September 18th. resulting in the
death If forty -eight members of Com
pany &. would never have occurred.
Let the fact be borne clearly in mind
that the treao herous natives who at
tackled and butchered our troops in
this affair were hnlonen. Their sue
cess was entirely due to the fact that
they surprised the members Of Com
pany c when they We're separated from
their rifies and engaged in the prepara
ton of breakfast. In this d"fanceless
condition they fell easy vi Tins TO
native fan. Il, ism. Had these men
been provided with small arms which
they cu;:.d have worn at thr work they
could casily have stood off the enemy
and escaped with slight loss.
While it may be true that side arms
would be of little use under modern
conditions of warfare, it is equally
true that such conditions do not exist
in our campaign with the Filipino in
surgents, a large part Of whom are
armed only with the bolo
1t has always been regarded in army
circles as presumptuous for civilians
TO offer suggestions relative 10 mill
tary Hatters-and yet the cold hard
fact remains that a considerable part
Of the practical improvement in army
service and efficiency from year to
year has come about as the direct re-
suit Of civilian initiative.
What" asks the professional mill
tary wiseacre, can we learn of the art
OF war from civil sources? $ i, not
the work of our lives to study these
matters? Rely therefore upon our su
perior grasp of the situation and be
assured that We know it ALL
When all this has been said the plain
fact remains. that no department Of
human affairs has as whole been SO
conservative and unprogressiye as pro-
fessional army life.
Two years ago We saw the military
experts of England. deliberately drilled
in modern codes and tactics. going
forth with beating of drums TO wipe
two little South African republics Oft
the map. Since then few Boer FARM
cts with rifles in their hands have
taught them more about the art Of
fighting than they ever dreamed OF be-
fore They have compelled a complete
abandonment of the old-time tactics
on the part of the British troops. and
have set all Europe to wondering
whether or not their laborate military
establishments are one-tenth part as
effective as they were formerly sup
posed to be.
1t must be admitted. however, tia.
the British army was considerably in
advance of our own army at the out
break Of the war with Spain. when
many OF our leading military leaders
were still advocates of black powder
ana the old Springfield rifle. That
war and the subsequent campaigns in
the philippines have taught our trOops
many valuable lessons that were not
included in the od-school instruction,
and with American adaptability they
nave been readily mastered.
1t may be that the call for side arms
at least for the troops operating in
Samar should not be favorabIv an
swered; but. if such is the case. there
are many people who would no p,.d
TO Know, clearly. and definitely. the
reasons for it, =
"ieh the Hon. Josiah Quincy Of
nos'oh recently spoke in Springfield