The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-12
FlLlPilcs ARE FIGHTERS.
They Rival the Soldiers of Japan in
 ProWess.

Day Allen Wiley in Leslie's Weekly.
 The story of soldier-making among the islanders is worth the telling. Here it is in the language of an officer who liter ally created one of the best commands of scouts
 "We did not pick up men for their goodness or general morality. The first thing to be considered was if the man was strong and healthy: next, if he knew enough to understand what he was told to do in his own language. As to his courage we could only tell about that after putting him in a rice field where he might have a spear run into him any minute or get pinparing (struck with a war-axe) before he knew what happened In fact, the orders from Manila were to enlist as many of the carabao thieves and others of bad repute as we could get into the files, along with the better ones provided they were fit In other respects and mix them all up together. The idea was that it would be good way to keep them from making trouble if we could hold them down by discipline To each company were assigned enougA sergeants and corporals from the regular forces to put them into some kind of shape with drills and setting-up exercises. Then they were taught HOW 10 WtdI d uIllbIHs Ol course we worked them in squads at first, and as they became familiar with the manual of arms and learned what it means to keep step, they were formed into companies. Once they acquired a smattering of tactics, they went ahead so fast that soon the drill-masters were sent back to the garrisons. and sergeants and corpOrals promoted from their own ranks handled the awkward squads.
 "It may seem strange. but the very ones from whom we expected the most trouble-the thieves and other rif1raff taken into the service-have, as a rule, shown themselves to be among the best soldiers-not merely brave, but efficient. This has been the case in my own expe- rience. and in other provinces as well. One trouble about these fellows is to hold them back when they get into a fight. Just after we began recruiting the scouts a call for troops came from one of the settlements in Cavite province. where a band of ladrones and former insurrectos had begun pilaglng and killing when the people offered resistance. The only com mand within a days march of the place was a company of Tagalogs who had been mustered in less than month be- fore. It included a good many natives whose reputation had been bad They had neevr been under fire, and 1t was a question if they would not desert and join the other crowd at the first chance. Then, too. the captain and first lieutenant were young officers from the states, and were in command for the first time. But there was no choice, and they were ordered out. They reached the place where the ladrones had been at work, located their camp in the center of a big swamp, and struck il one morning at daybreak. It was case of three to one in favor of the ladrones who had plenty of rifles, besides bolos, but that company went right into them. routed the whole outfit, and killed and wounded fifty-three in all. as the depart ment records prove. They obeyed orders until they had the band on the run. then, paying no attention to the command of recall, they chased them until too ex- hausted to go farther. Several of the company did not show up after the attack until dusk. One of the American ser geants who was with them said they fought like devils, and he was probably right"