Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-11-12
THE ARMY IN THE PHILIPPINES.

~ - = '''s''H t'NESs
D.
I'VE need much of the dead wood in
the line and staff cleaned out of our
Philippine army" says Major General
Leonard Wood in his annual report
TO the war department. Moreover.
while | realize that shotguns aud bo-
los are not supposed to form the
equipment of regular army, bolos
are so necessary to guerilla warfare
that If the government does not pro-
vide them Il will be necessary for the
soldiers to purchase them them
selves This Is another of the start
ling statements made by General
Wood lin the same connection he
says that revolvers of longer range
are needed in repelling the Filipinos
who advance with bolos and spears.
He also wants hand .grenades and
wire cutters which can be worked
with one hand to be furnished at the
rate of one for each squad. New con-
ditions make new necessities. and the
operations in these islands, If they
can be classed as warfare, are war
fare under extraordinary conditions
and demand unusual equipments
Where the engagements take place
with the enemy hidden in the dense
swamps, cane brakes or jungles or in
mountain ranges covered with an al
most impossible growth of trees and
underbrush the bolo and the spear
are better weapons than the regular
ones employed in open battle. Wheth-
er the hide-bound traditions of the
war department can be overcome to
the extent of providing them though
is another question. In regard to the
dead timber in the Philippine army,
General Wood says that consider
| able number of o2cers have entered
| the service as the result of the war
with Spain and who, now that peace
/ in the islands is established, are
found to be of a type which it is Not
considered desirable to continue in
plains, are indifferent to their work ,
now that the excitement of field life
is over, others are satisfied to do no.
| thing except draw their pay, and that
| a l&fge-per centage are too old for
eective service. He wants some way
l of discharging them other thar >co.lrt-
martial or failure to pass the examin-
| ations for promotion, and 1t is his
| opinion that with our small army
there is no excuse for carrying a
heavy loade of inferior personnel in
any class. In view of possible trouble.
with China or Japan over our trouble.
| some possessions in the eastern wa
ters, he believes that there should not
be any reduction of the total strength
of the garrison, and that the field bat
teries should be increased. "In pre-
l pairing for future contingencies" he
says. "and in the possible case of war
with a strong naval power, sea coast
defenses will have to be generally
manned and the coast artillel, person
mel very considerably strengthened"
These and other suggestions made by
General Wood in his report more than
ever emphasize the long, arduous and
perilous task that the establishment
of civil government on the islands in
wolves. and though sanguine in its
tone. Its publication hre has done lit
tie to encourage those who have
viewed the situation all along as un-
promising. VIZ
These suggestions of General -WAbd
are discussed with much interest in
| Washington. which is the center of
the army and navy inuence with its
aristocratic social encourage Gener-
al Wood has not too many friends in
| Washington. Many officers in the
army and navy with their wives,
cousins and aunts, resent his rapid
as civil officer, as shown In the gov
ernor generalship of Cuba must be
conceded, there are many in Washing
to who think they are better generals
than ''Dr. Wood" as they call him.
All this is interesting in its relation
TO the new role of the United States
as world power. 1t has been observ-
ed that the Japanese press has as
sumed somewhat hectoring tone to-
ward us, calling us "womanish" in our
Jealousy of Japanese commercial sue
cess and military prestige. Stranger
things have happened than war be-
tween Japan and this country would
oe' Zen years ago no one suspected
war between Russia and Japan.
Some nation or alliance of nations
VIII have to be supreme in the Paci-
TIC ocean just as England Is supreme
| in the Channel and the Mediterran.
can and in the Indian and the Atlantic
oceans. There is much activity and
interest, not without excitement In
naval circles here. The United States
mas within the last two years greatly
increased her strength at sea. It is i.
doubtless twice as strong as when we
put out OF commission forever the
ships OF Spain. In actual effective
iighting ships there are naval special.
ISIS who claim that we are next to
england as sea power, but 1t is
more than possible that during the
next congress there will be appropri-
ations for two or three ships of the
DTeadnaught" plaaa !. ahino. thst -.tyI