The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-12-22

Five Thousand Finely Trained scouts
Under Omcers Appointed by
the President.


Try In order that we may take look at
hem and see what they are like, are
n their way the most wonderful troops
in the world They will represent
force Of 5000 men who act as auxiliaries
10 our military organization in the
archipelago This body comprises SO
companies Of 100 men each and is an in
.egral part OF the United States army.
All Of its commissioned officers are ap-
pointed by the president, ranking with
those Of the regular service, and two of
them are native Filipinos, states the
New York Herald
These scouts are beautifully drilled
and have an esprit de corps equal to
that of crack European troops. They
are proud of their organization, ex-
tremely careful OF their dress. and punc-
.ilious in all matters of military duty
The only trouble with them is that they
are too brave When once they begin
lighting it is impossible to restrain
them, and they eat up the enemy, as one
might say, exhibiting a mercilessness
which is sometimes very cruel Rebels
and bandits fear them much more than
they do our own troops.
It should be realized that these for
midable allies OF ours are not Tagals
They are chiefly Macabebes and Ilo-
canos, and no Tagalog would be allowed
o enlist in one of their companies, so
great is their contempt for that race,
superior. perhaps, in point Of intelli-
gence, but less fierce. Our soldiers call
the Macabebes little Macs" and fra
ternize with them readily, as well as
with the Ilocanos, who are equally war
like. Neither tribe has ever been friend
ly to the Tagals
The origin of this organization Of
50 companies of native scouts is inter-
esting. They are a survival of the old
Guardia Civile. which did order keeping
duty in the islands when the latter were
under Spanish rule They were dis
tributed over the archipelago, but
chiefly In the neighborhood of Manila,
having as their headquarters the build
Ing which subsequently was utilized by
the Americans as the Third Reserve
hospital. This civil guard was never
known to run away from an enemy and
enlistments in it were restricted to the
Macabebes and Ilocanos exclusively.
At the period Of the outbreak Of our
war with Spain the Filipinos had been
so far successful in their rebellion
against Spanish domination that the
Spaniards we're practically blockaded
in the city Of Manila, all the rest Of the
archipelago being under control of the
Insurgents, but the Guardia Civile was
gtanch TO the last, preserving its loyalty
to the Spanish cause up to the very end.
This allegiance they transferred to the
Americans. and already they have
proved themselves most faithful and
valuable auxiliaries, being much more
effective in certain kinds of military
operations than our own veteran regi-
ments.
Their principal business is to gar
rison towns and hunt bandits. the lat
ter occupation being to them a most con
genial pastime They seem to be nat
ural robber hunters, knowing. as If by
instinct. how and where to find the
ladrones, and slaughtering the latter
without mercy when overtaken. Two
companies Of them recently rounded up
the big band of ladrones under the re-
doubtable chieftain San Miguel. near
Caloocan, and captured San Miguel
himself The two American Off
GERS IN command were Lieut. A.
Caldwell. Of Kentucky. most
promising and distinguished young
man. who died the other day, and Lieut..
Boss Resee, of Georgia who has since
refused a commission in the regular
army offered to him as a reward for his
The war department, at the request of
The civil governor Of the Philippines,
has just appointed ten graduates from
schools in this country as lieu
tenants in the constabulary Of the archi-
Delago II win continue this policy, ap-
a like number each year, and
choosing the young men from those who
take highest rank in their classes at such /
schools. Excellent results are expected
10 accrue from this policy, which will
secure for service in the Philippines
Toung officers Of a superior grade Of in
lelligence and, as is anticipated. Of eff
,iency.
The constabulary is an insular mill
ary force, commanded by officers of the
regular army. Six captains. with brevet
rank Of colonel. command the districts
In which this arm Of the civil govern
nent operates It comprises 6.000 men.
and that section OF It which has head
quarters at Manila is under Col. Tex" |
Scott For the rest II Is sufficient to say
hat the constabulary are a sort Of local |
,olice Il is their business not to police
owns. but to keep order in the prov
noes which are under civil government |
md no longer under military control.
in this force are made from |
he natives Of the Philippines at large.
including the Tagals
Earthquakes In Philippines.
ara,