The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-15
KEEP UP PHILIPPINE
ARhY, SAYS GEN. WOOD
Commander Points Out That
Troops in Islands Should
Not Be Reduced.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.-An areu-
ment against the reduction in the mum.
Der of troops in the Philippines is made
by Major General Leonard Wood, COM
manding that division, in his annual
report The total garrison on June 80
iast numbered 30,043 men. "We are
ana In case of foreign disturbance,
even with all our troops concentrated
at Manila, the force available would
be barely sufficient to defend it from
serious attack. However, a strong
garrison should be maintained there un.
Il conditions pertaining to tho civil
government are well established and
the anlmosities and disappointments in
cldent TO the building up of a local
Iovernment under new and perhaps
strained conditions have passed away''
General Wood suggests adding some
artillery to the present garrison and
sending TO the Philippines one squad
ron of each of the. cavalry regiments
in the United States.
Refers to Pulajanes,
The policy has been adopted of con-
centrating white troops in the immedi-
ate vicinity of the large Moro centers
and holding small outposts with scouts,
rendering it possible to move compare
lively large commands into hostile coun-
try without uncovcring q number of
posts, and ut the same time providing
the white troops with good barracks
and quarters. The department OF the
Visayas has been abandoned in the is
land of Samar, through most of which
have operated large number of ignor-
ant fanatics of low type, known as
Pulajanes. whose principal object
seemed 10 have been to destroy the
coast towns and people in the most
ruthless and brutal manner'
General Wood says the movement or
iginated in the unfair treatment of tine
people of the interior by traders and
people of the coast towns, 4 wide
spread condition OF lawlessness and re-
sistance to the Government exists in
this island. Seventeen companies of
scouts and number of companies Of
infantry are now carrying on the cam
paign and the Pulaianes are operating
in small bodies, seldom making any
serious attempt to resist troops, 80 it
is believed their operations will soon
be brought to an end.
Mindanao Improved.
Public order has greatly improved
in Mindanao. The Industrial output
there Is said TO exceed any previous
year. and the people have gone TO work
As there is large Mohammedan ele-
ment there, and unexpected distur-
Dances may occur as the result of ac-
tIon of religious fanatics returning
from Mecca, the report says the garri-
sons should be concentrated.
General Wood SAYS there is a large
number of officers in the service who
entered during the war with Spain and
atterward, and are not of a type de-
sired In time of peace, Also there arc
many field officers too old for their
positions. A man past 30 years OF age
Ill subordinate position. he says. Will
not fill very efficiently an important po-
sition involving responsibility in his
remaining years of service. Deserving
Colonels having less than FIVE years to
serve should he promoted and retired,
for the policy of making general Of
fcers of men with only year or two
of active service ahead of them would
take the initiative and the energy out
of the best army ever created, says
General Wood, aud he also urges that
not only should this Government have
Il system of elimination. but at least a
percentage. say two in five. or all pro-
motions should be by selection. Gen
eral Wood recommends that hereafter
English Khaki be purchased in tho
East and made up into clothing for
troops in the Philippines instead of
using the khaki clothing made In the
United States. thereby effecting largo
saving. He SAYS the English khaki is
of lighter weight, more permanent col
or, more durable and better suited for
tr,r,ipul