The La Jara chronicle., 1906-10-19
DISCUSS MINING PHILIPPINE ARMY
1T is NO LARGER NOW THAN is
NECESSARY.
BARELY TWENTY THOUSAND
General Wood Tells Why We Need a
Large Garrison in the Islands
Principal Trouble is Now Witr
PuIujanes in Samar.

large Sarrlson IN tnc isidhos--
Principal Trouble is Now Witr
PuIujanes in Samar.
Washington.-An argument against
the reduction in the number OF troops
in the Philippines is made by Mai
Gen. Leonard Wood, commanding thai
division. in his annual report The to
tai garrison June Both last numbered
2O.O43. We are far from home" says
General Wood, land in case of foreign
disturbance, even with all troops CON
centrated at Manila, the force avail.
able will be barely sufficient to defend
it from serious attack. Moreover, a
strong garrison should be maintained
here until conditions pertaining to the
civil government are well establishei
ad the animosities and disappoint.
ments incident to the building up of a
local government under new and per
haps strained conditions have passed
away"
General Wood suggests adding some
artillery to the present garrison and
sending to the Philippines one squac-
ron of each of the cavalry regiments
in the United States.
The policy has been adopted OF con-
centratinE white troops in the imme-
diate vicinity of the large Moro cen
ters and holding small outposts with
scouts. rendering it possible to move
comparatively large commands into
hostile country without uncovering a
number OF posts and at the same time
providing the white troops with good
barracks and quarters.
The Department of the Visayas has
been in good order except In the island
OF Samar, through most of which hav-
operated a large number of ignorant
fanatics of a low type known as Pulu-
james whose principal object seemed
to have been to destroy the coast
towns and people in the most ruth
less and brutal manner" General
Wood says the movement originated
in the unfair treatment of the people
of the interior by traders and peopls
of the coast towns. a widespread
condition OF lawlessness and resist
ance to the government exists in this
island. Seventeen companies Of scouts
and a number of companies of In
fantry are now carrying on the cam
paign and the PulujaneS are operating
in small bodies, seldom making any
serious attempt to resist the troops SO
II is believed their operations Will
soon be brought to an end.
Public order has greatly improved
in Mindanao. As there is a large Mo
hammedan element there and uncx-
peCted disturbances may occur as the
result of action of religious fanatics
returning from Mecca. the report says
the garrisons should be concentrated.
General Wood says there is large
number of officers in the service who
entered during the war with Spain and
afterward, and are not of type de-
sired in time of peace. Also there are
many field officers too old for their po-
sitions. A man past fifty years Of age
in subordinate position, he says, viii
not fill Very efficiently an important
position involving responsibility in his
remaining years of service. Deserving
colonels having less than five years to
serve should be promoted and retired.
for the policy of making general Off.
GERS of men with only year or two Of
active service ahead of them would
take the initiative and energy out OF
the best army ever created, says Gen
eral Wood, and he also urges that not
only should this government have
system of elimination, but at least
percentage, say two in five, OF all pro
motions should be by selection. Gen
eral Wood recommends that hereafter
English khaki be purchased in the
East and made up into clothing for
troops in the Philippines instead OF
using the khaki clothing made in the
United States, thereby effecting
large saving. He says the English
khaki is of lighter weight, more per
manent color, more durable and better
suited for tropical wear.
a great battle is being waged
against malaria by the army surgeons
with satisfactory results.
General Wood recommends repeat
ing shotguns and ammunition, four for
each company: advocates buckshot ns
used by the constabulary against bolo
rushes and service in the brush; sup
plying troops with bolos when engaged
in the jungle country to hack their
way through the heavy vines and
brush. Hand grenades are also much
needed in service against the Moros.
General Wood recommends the Gre
alton OF a militia artillery 10 man tho
sea coast defenses at short notice; the
substituting of the back-pack instead
of the blanket roll. and the dispatth of
a number of officers to Japan and
China and to acquire the language
there. 1T is highly probable" lie said,
that our position in the Philippines
will render it important that we
should have number of officers fami-
lar with these languages"
No Word From Peary.