Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-08
Gen. Chaffee's Dispatch.

The War Department is advised by cable
from General Chaffee, dated Manila T. L.
September 6, 1902. of an attack on the
troops at Mailing Falls. seven mics from
Camp Wears. by Moros, September l. First
Lieutenant William M Parker nth In
fantry, and two soldiers We're wounded and
one soldier killed. General Chaffee says he
has authorized Brig. Gen. Samuel S Sum-
ner to move troops into the Macin country
and exact promise of good behavior in fu-
ture from the DatOs and their followers
He says that troops have been attacked
twelve times since May ., with loss to us of
four killed and twelve wounded. We have
remained" says General Chaffee. ''aii the
time quiet, seeking friendship; I'm action,
self-defenSe only
The last part Of Gen. Chafree's dispatch
IS evidently intended TO inform the War
Department that the army has been ac ing
wholly upon the defensive In the Moro
country. His instructions have been to do
nothing which would provoke a conflict
with the Moros. The position of the War
Department is that If there is a general
assault it must be justified by the aggres-
siYeEeSs of the Morus. Some time ago Gen.
Chaffee asked for authority to Immediately
attack the Moros, but he was advised tnat
the department wished to avoid hostilitIos
if possible. At the same time II has long
been the belief of some officials of the de-
partment that an aggressive campaign in
mtndanao is Inevitable.
1t is rot at all improbable that a forward
movement of the United States troops viii
be made this winter IL the Moros stll re-
fuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of the
United States.
Riches of Mindanao
SAN FRANCISCO, September s.-Accord-
ing to James Wilson, second assistant engi-
neer of the transport Lawton. all that Is
needed is adequate legislation regulating
land and mineral claims 10 make of the
prospector, the coal miner and the producer
Of india rubber and gutta pereha. Already,
according to Wilson, who has spent a long
time in the interior Of the big island. there
are Americans prospecting and preparing To
develop the long latent possibilities Of the
possession. Wilson claims that the coal
found there. some specimens of which he
brought back with him, is much superior
to the Japanese coal so extensively used in
the orient.
Cholera is Spreading.
"A bountiful downpour of rain Is the only
remedy which will check the cholera cpl
demic now raging in the Philippines" said
Capt. E H. SOuthall, a surgeon I'm the
United States army, who has arrived here
on the transport Buford. Captain Sou;han
was for time in charge of the cholera hos
pital in Manila. In speaking of the epiGem-
&c, Captain Southan said:
1.-The Americans in the Philippines seem
unable to cope with the cholera plague. De-
spite the rigorous methods used to suppress
1t the disease seems to spread and increase.
When l left Manila the death rate was
ninety a day. An equal number were
stricken with the disease daily. OF course,
there were number of pueblos I'm the in
terror from which We never hear. and in
these places the death rate was said TO be
enormous. 1t is very difficult to get correct
figures of the mortality due to cholera, be-
cause the natives hide the dead and try 10
keep knowledge Of the presence of the dis
ease from the authorities"