The Dolores star., 1906-10-19
IT ls No LARGER NOW THAN rs
NECESSARY.
BARELY TWENTY THOUSAND

General Wood Tells Why We Need a
Principal Trouble is Now With
PuIujanes in Samar.
| Washington.-An argument against
the reduction in the number of troops
In the Philippines is made by Maj.
| Gen. Leonard Wood. commanding that
| division, in his annual report. The to
| tai garrison June Both last numbered
| 2OO43. I'VE are far from home," says
| General Wood. "and in case of oieign
disturbance. even with all troops con-
centrated at Manila. the force avail
able will be barely sufficient to defend
1t from serious attack. Moreover, a
strong garrison should be maintained
here until conditions pertaining to the
| civil government are well established
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 squad
| ron of each of the cavalry regiments
| in the United States.
The policy has been adopted of con-
centrating white troops in the imme-
diatc 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 have
| operated large number of ignorant
fanatics of 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 people
| of the coast towns. A widespread
| condition OF lawlessness and resist.
| ance to the government exists in this
| island. Seventeen companies of scouts
| and 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
| it Is believed their operations will
soon be brought to an end.
| Public order has greatly improved
In Mindanao. AS there is 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 a 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 a subordinate position, he says, will
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 ofn
GERS of men with only year or two oi
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 6
system of elimination, but at least g
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 fol
troops In the Philippines instead o.
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 waget
against malaria by the army surgeons
with satisfactory results.
General Wood recommends repeat
ing shotguns and ammunition, four fol
each company; advocates buckshot al
used by the constabulary against bolt
rushes and service in the brush: sup
plying troops with bolos when engaged
in the jungle country. to hack theil
way through the heavy vines anl
brush. Hand grenades are also much
needed in service against the Moros
General Wood recommends the ere
alton Of militia artillery to man the
sea coast defenses at short notice; the
. substituting of the back-pack instead
of the blanket roll, and the dispatch o.
number of officers to Japan anc
China and to acquire the Language
there. 1T is highly probable" he said
that our position in the Philippines
will render It important that VIZ
should have number of officers fami
liar with these languages"
No Word From Peary.
New York.-The middle Of Octobe,