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Ladronism in Cavite is chronic, the exploits of her brigands are deeply graven in tradition, and nothing short of destruction or incarceration for long periods of many people of more or less prominence will be effective. The moral sense is so perverted that harboring of ladrone bands or giving them contributions to secure immunity for property is not a crime, and in many barrios agents of the law are regarded as

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In more than half the provinces there was not a single desertion.

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The following list shows the number of deaths and causes of same among constabulary officers during the year just ended:

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The loss of the constabulary in killed and wounded during the year and the number of men sick in hospital due to diseases resulting from strenuous field service suggest that the armed force of this bureau is entitled to some consideration in medical treatment, pensions, etc., from the insular government.

The following table gives the total number of firearms in the hands of the constabulary and municipal police in the Archipelago:

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From March 25, 1903, to June 30 there were issued under act No. 610 by constabulary officers 493 permits to carry firearms, and by provincial governors 209 permits. This does not represent all the arms in the hands of private individuals in the islands. The full effect of the registration law has not yet been reached.

Attention is invited to the report of Colonel Baker, chief supply officer of the constabulary, which follows below:

HEADQUARTERS PHILIPPINES CONSTABULARY,
OFFICE OF CHIEF SUPPLY OFFICER,
Manila, P. I., July 31, 1903.

SIR: Data as to the past year's work of the supply divisions is not available in the form necessary to a comprehensive and accurate report.

Like other parts of the constabulary these divisions were not created full-fledged, but have been evolved as necessity required in the rough, details being filled in as part of their daily work.

By last February their work had so grown that the functions of the chief supply officer, only those of a purchasing agent for the different divisions, were enlarged. His former duties were delegated to an assistant, and he was charged with coordinating and supervising the work of all the divisions engaged in obtaining and distributing funds and stores. These divisions are the paymaster's, quartermaster's, commissary's, ordinance, telegraph, and medical.

The assistant chief then detailed as chief supply officer has been absent about twothirds of the time conducting operations against ladrones in Mindoro and Albay. He can not, therefore, speak with the assurance that can come only from thorough acquaintance and grasp of all details pertaining to his task. As far as he has been able to judge the system is workable and economical. If correct in this, perfecting of organization and administrative detail during this fiscal year should make the proof easy.

Aside from such measures as he can, with your approval, initiate the most urgent necessity is a building suitable for and sufficiently large to house all the matériel and personnel of these divisions.

A third floor would suffice for all other Manila offices of the constabulary. Such a building, erected within easy access to the Pasig, would so cut transportation and other expenses as to pay for itself in a few years. It would also give the warehouse room necessary to buy stores in such quantities and at such times as economy and preparedness for emergencies dictate.

In this connection attention is invited to the fact that a thorough audit of the commissary division to April 1 showed a profit of over 100,000 pesos. An increase of $50,000 gold in its capital would make it entirely self-supporting.

Respectfully,

The CHIEF OF CONSTABULARY, Manila, P. I.

D. J. BAKER, Jr., Chief Supply Officer.

The following tables give a statement of the business of the civil supply store from its creation to June 30, 1903, and from August 1, 1902, to June 30, 1903:

Statement for period August 1, 1902, to June 30, 1903.

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The extensive use of scouts in field service during the last five months and two years' field experience of the constabulary have furnished information on which an estimate of the relative advantages and disadvantages of these two native forces may be made.

I hardly deem it necessary to speak of the expediency, economy, and necessity of maintaining native troops. In former days there were able officers who opposed or doubted the policy of arming Filipinos, but the proven loyalty to the authorities furnishing food, shelter, and clothing, the paucity of desertions, the economy of maintenance, the direct education of the men and its general influence upon the people, and the special fitness of the Filipino for the work required of soldiers in the Philippines have answered their objections.

The Filipinos, like all people, will fight when properly paid, fed, and disciplined, but above all when properly led. This is the keynote to an entirely successful use of Filipinos as soldiers, whether they be employed in this Archipelago or elsewhere. It is therefore of the utmost importance that high-grade officers, thoroughly courageous, upright, sober, intelligent, and energetic, be placed over them. It is folly to assign as officers men unfit for duty with American soldiers, by reason of lacking the qualities above mentioned, to command.

The efficiency, loyalty, and zeal of constabulary detachments or scout companies are measured by the fitness and character of the officers commanding them, and this is demonstrated daily. In the near or remote future, or whenever legislative or administrative action affecting the native contingent may be under consideration, it is sincerely hoped that this matter may not be forgotten.

As organized and utilized at present the constabulary has greater mobility than the scouts. This is due chiefly to three reasons: First, a greater percentage of officers; secondly, a greater period of field service in small detachments; and, thirdly, greater facility in subsistence. On the other hand, the scouts have been in garrison by whole companies, and have therefore, as a rule, been better drilled and disciplined.

On a recent trip of inspection through the northern part of Luzon I saw the constabulary detachment at Bangued, Abra, under First Lieutenant Knoll, consisting of about 65 men, give the best exhibition of drill, regardless of kind of soldiers, in close and extended order, by vocal commands and by trumpet signals, that has come under my observation in the Philippines.

The insufficiency of scout officers, an average of about one and onehalf per company, is a decided drawback to their efficiency for much of the work now required in the Philippines, where detachments of 30 to 40 men are ordinarily strong enough. Three detachments of 33 men working in supporting distance of each other are more effective than two of 50 men each under similar conditions. Detachments should, however, not be so small as to invite disaster, such as has happened on several occasions during the year. Experience has shown and reasons could be set forth to prove that stations should be under command of officers even if field detachments are not. Owing to shortage of officers, two stations are practically the limit of a scout company, however many men it may have.

As a rule, scouts serve out of the province where enlisted, while the constabulary generally serve in the provinces of their birth. The intimate knowledge of the country and its inhabitants in one case practically offsets the disadvantage of too much sympathy with the people in the other. Experience has not yet shown that the policy of utilizing constabulary in the provinces where born is fraught with the danger suggested above. It happens that where provinces become seriously affected detachments are called in from other provinces, and the possibility of contamination through sympathy or kinship is averted. Recommendations.-Under the present system first lieutenants of scouts have no possibility of promotion-a fact that no sound military doctrine can approve. Scout companies operating in the field need, even more than companies of American soldiers, three officers, and while some of the captains might be appointed from first lieutenants of the Army, as now contemplated by law, specially meritorious first. lieutenants of scouts should be advanced to captains. When conditions as to order become more favorable, scout companies should be organized into battalions and probably some battalions into regiments.

In frequent cases I have assigned constabulary officers, at the request of scout company commanders, to scout companies for duty, and with good results. When scouts and constabulary are serving together in the field there should be a provision whereby the chief of constabulary could, within his discretion, assign scout officers to command constabulary, and the reverse. This would necessitate a determination of relative rank, which would be comparatively easy by giving precedence of officers of the two services within one grade of each other to the one who had the longest service as recognized by army regulations. This would be only fair to scout officers, whose promotion has not been commensurate with that of constabulary officers. It would make

The following tables give a statement of the business of the civil supply store from its creation to June 30, 1903, and from August 1, 1902, to June 30, 1903:

Statement for period August 1, 1902, to June 30, 1903.

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The extensive use of scouts in field service during the last five months and two years' field experience of the constabulary have furnished information on which an estimate of the relative advantages and disadvantages of these two native forces may be made.

I hardly deem it necessary to speak of the expediency, economy, and necessity of maintaining native troops. In former days there were able officers who opposed or doubted the policy of arming Filipinos, but the proven loyalty to the authorities furnishing food, shelter, and clothing, the paucity of desertions, the economy of maintenance, the direct education of the men and its general influence upon the people and the special fitness of the Filipino for the work required of sold in the Philippines have answered their objections.

The Filipinos, like all people, will fight when properly pe and disciplined, but above all when properly led. This is + to an entirely successful use of Filipinos as soldiers. employed in this Archipelago or elsewhere. It utmost importance that high-grade officers, tho upright, sober, intelligent, and energetic, be pla folly to assign as officers men unfit for duty w by reason of lacking the qualities above menti

The efficiency, loyalty, and zeal of cons scout companies are measured by the fitn officers commanding them, and this is de near or remote future, or whenever legislati affecting the native contingent may be un cerely hoped that this matter may not be

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