the path of empire-第31章

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　voluntary　entrance　of　Cuba　into　the　Great　War　in　cooperation　with　the　United　States　was　a　tribute　to　the　generosity　and　honesty　of　the　American　people。

*　An　amendment　to　the　Army　Appropriation　Bill　of　March　2；　1901。


Porto　Rico　presented　a　problem　different　from　that　which　the　United　States　had　to　solve　in　Cuba。　There　existed　no　native　organization　which　could　supply　even　the　basis　for　the　formation　of　a　government。　The　people　seemed；　indeed；　to　have　no　desire　for　independence；　and　public　sentiment　in　the　United　States　generally　favored　the　permanent　possession　of　the　island。　After　a　period　of　rule　entirely　at　the　discretion　of　the　President；　Congress　established　in　1900　a　form　of　government　based　on　that　of　the　American　territories。　Porto　Rico　remained；　however；　unincorporated　into　the　Union；　and　it　was　long　doubtful　whether　it　would　remain　a　dependency　or　would　ultimately　attain　statehood。　In　1917；　however；　the　degree　of　self…government　was　increased；　and　the　inhabitants　were　made　American　citizens。　It　now　seems　probable　that　the　island　will　ultimately　become　a　State　of　the　Union。

Meanwhile　on　the　other　side　of　the　world　the　United　States　had　a　more　unpleasant　task。　The　revolted　Filipinos；　unlike　the　Cubans；　had　not　declared　themselves　for　independence　but　for　redress　of　grievances。　The　United　States　had　assisted　Aguinaldo；　at　the　moment　in　exile；　to　return　to　the　islands　after　the　Battle　of　Manila　Bay　but　had　not　officially　recognized　him　as　having　authority。　When　he　saw　Spanish　power　disappearing　under　American　blows；　he　declared　himself　in　favor　of　the　abolition　of　all　foreign　rule。　This　declaration；　of　course；　in　no　way　bound　the　United　States；　to　whom　the　treaty　with　Spain；　the　only　recognized　sovereign；　ceded　the　island　absolutely。　There　was　no　flaw　in　the　title　of　the　United　States；　and　there　were　no　obligations；　save　those　of　humanity；　to　bind　the　Americans　in　their　treatment　of　the　natives。　Nevertheless；　the　great　majority　of　Americans　would　doubtless　have　gladly　favored　a　policy　similar　to　that　pursued　in　the　case　of　Cuba；　had　it　seemed　in　any　way　practicable。　Unfortunately；　however；　the　Filipinos　did　not　constitute　a　nation　but　only　a　congeries　of　peoples　and　tribes　of　differing　race　and　origin；　whom　nearly　four　centuries　of　Spanish　rule　had　not　been　able　to　make　live　at　peace　with　one　another。　Some　were　Christians；　some　Mohammedans；　some　heathen　savages；　some　wore　European　clothes；　some　none　at　all。　The　particular　tribe　which　formed　the　chief　support　of　Aguinaldo；　the　Tagalogs；　comprised　less　than　one　half　of　the　population　of　the　island　of　Luzon。　The　United　States　had　taken　the　islands　largely　because　it　did　not　see　any　one　else　to　whom　it　could　properly　shift　the　burden。　The　shoulders　of　the　Tagalogs　did　not　seem　broad　enough　for　the　responsibility。

The　United　States　prepared；　therefore；　to　carry　on　the　task　which　it　had　assumed；　while　Aguinaldo；　with　his　army　circling　Manila；　prepared　to　dispute　its　title。　On　February　4；　1899；　actual　hostilities　broke　out。　By　this　time　Aguinaldo　had　a　capital　at　Malolos；　thirty　miles　north　of　Manila；　a　government；　thirty　or　forty　thousand　troops；　and　an　influence　which　he　was　extending　throughout　the　islands　by　means　of　secret　organizations　and　superstitious　appeals。　This　seemed　a　puny　strength　to　put　forth　against　the　United　States　but　various　circumstances　combined　to　make　the　contest　less　unequal　than　it　seemed；　and　the　outcome　was　probably　more　in　doubt　than　that　in　the　war　with　Spain。

The　United　States　had　at　the　moment　but　fourteen　thousand　men　in　the　islands；　under　the　command　of　General　Otis。　Some　of　these　were　volunteers　who　had　been　organized　to　fight　Spain　and　who　could　not　be　held　after　the　ratification　of　peace。　Congress　had；　indeed；　provided　for　an　increase　in　the　regular　army；　but　not　sufficient　to　provide　the　〃40；000　effectives　for　the　field；〃　whom　Otis　had　requested　in　August；　1899。　There　were；　of　course；　plenty　of　men　available　in　America　for　service　in　the　Philippines；　and　finally　twelve　regiments　of　volunteers　were　raised；　two　of　which　were　composed　of　negroes。　Aguinaldo's　strength　lay　in　the　configuration　of　the　country；　in　its　climate；　which　for　four　centuries　had　prevented　a　complete　conquest　by　the　Spaniards；　and　in　the　uncertainty　which　he　knew　existed　as　to　how　far　the　American　people　would　support　a　war　waged　apparently　for　conquest；　against　the　wishes　of　the　Filipinos。　On　the　other　hand；　the　chief　advantages　of　the　American　forces　lay　in　Aguinaldo's　lack　of　arms　and　in　the　power　of　the　American　Navy；　which　confined　the　fighting　for　the　most　part　to　Luzon。

In　March；　General　MacArthur　began　to　move　to　the　north；　and　on　the　last　day　of　that　month　he　entered　Malolos。　On　the　23d　of　April　he　pushed　farther　northward　toward　Calumpit；　where　the　Filipino　generalissimo；　Luna；　had　prepared　a　position　which　he　declared　to　be　impregnable。　This　brief　campaign　added　a　new　favorite　to　the　American　roll　of　honor；　for　it　was　here　that　Colonel　Funston；　at　the　head　of　his　gallant　Kansans；　crossed　the　rivers　Bag…bag　and　Rio　Grande；　under　circumstances　that　gave　the　individual　American　soldier　a　prestige　in　the　eyes　of　the　Filipinos　and　a　reputation　which　often　ran　far　ahead　of　the　army。

General　Luna　had　torn　up　the　ties　and　rails　of　the　steel　railroad　bridge　over　the　Bag…bag；　and　had　let　down　the　span　next　the　far　bank。　Thus　cut　off　from　attack　by　a　deep　river　two　hundred　feet　wide；　the　Filipino　commander　had　entrenched　his　forces　on　the　farther　side。　Shielded　by　fields　of　young　corn　and　bamboo　thickets；　the　Americans　approached　the　bank　of　the　river。　A　naval　gun　on　an　armored　train　bombarded　the　Filipinos　but　could　not　silence　their　trenches。　It　was　therefore　necessary　to　cross　an　the　bridge；　and　under　fire。　General　Wheaton　ordered　Colonel　Funston　to　seize　the　bridge。　With　about　ten　men　Funston　rushed　the　nearer　end　which　stood　in　the　open。　Working　themselves　along　the　girders；　the　men　finally　reached　the　broken　span。　Beyond　that；　swimming　was　the　only　method　of　reaching　the　goal。　Leaving　their　guns　behind　them；　Colonel　Funston　and　three　others　swung　themselves　off　the　bridge　and　into　the　stream。　Quite　unarmed；　the　four　landed　and　rushed　the　nearest　trenches。　Fortunately　these　had　been　abandoned　under　American　fire；　and　rifles　and　cartridges　had　been　left　behind。　Thus　this　aquatic　charge　by　unarmed　men　secured　the　bridge　and　enabled　the　American　troops　to　cross。

Not　far　beyond　was　the　Rio　Grande；　four　hundred　feet　broad　and　crossed　by　another　railroad　bridge　that　must　be　taken。　Here　again　the　task　was　entrusted　to　Colonel　Funston　and　the　Twentieth　Kansas。　This　time　they　found　an　old　raft。　Two　privates　stripped　and　swam　across　with　a　rope。　Landing　unarmed　on　the　enemy's　side　of　the　river；　they　fastened　their　rope　to　a　part　of　the　very　trench　works　of　the　Filipinos。　With　this　connection　established；　Colonel　Funston　improvised　a　ferry　and　was　soon　on　the　enemy's　side　with　supports。　A　stiff；　unequal　fight　remained；　as　the　ferry　carried　but　six　men　on　each　trip。　The　bank　was　soon　won；　however；　and　the　safe　crossing　of　the　army　was　assured。　Such　acts　gave　the　natives　a　respect　for　Americans　as　fighting　men；　which　caused　it　to　be　more　and　more　difficult　for　the　Filipino　commanders　to　bring　their　forces　to　battle　in　the　open。

General　Lawton　in　the　meantime　was　conducting　a　brilliant　movement　to　the　eastward。　After　breaking　the　enemy　forces；　he　returned　to　Manila　and　then　marched　southward　into　the　Tagalog　country；　where　on　the　13th　of　June；　at　Zapoti　Bridge；　he　won　the　most　stoutly　contested　battle　of　the　insurrection。　The　successful　conclusion　of　these　operations　brought　the　most　civilized　part　of　the　island　under　American　control。

The　fighting　now　became　scattered　and　assumed　gradually　a　guerrilla　character。　The　abler　commanders　of　the　American　forces　found　their　way　to　the　top；　and　the　troops；　with　their　natural　adaptability；　constantly　devised　new　methods　of　meeting　new　situations。　A　war　of　strangely　combined　mountain　and　sea　fighting；　involving　cavalry　and　infantry　and　artillery；　spread　over　the　islands　in　widening　circles　and　met　with　lessening　resistance。　An　indication　of　the　new　character　of　the　war　was　given　by　the　change　of　the　military　organi