The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912Blount, James H. (James Henderson)
History
The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912
Blount, James H. (James Henderson)
Philippines -- History -- 1898-1946; Philippines -- Politics and government -- 1898-1935
(2) Because of the following incident, related to me, in 1911,
without the slightest injunction of secrecy, by the Director of
Public Health of the Philippine Islands, then on a visit to the United
States. Shortly before the Director's said visit home, while he was out
in one of the provinces, there was brought to his attention a Filipino
with a broken arm. There was a Japanese doctor in the town, at least
a Japanese who had a sign out as a doctor. The Director carried the
sufferer to the "doctor," not being a surgeon himself. The "doctor"
turned out to be a civil engineer, who had been making maps and plans
of fortifications. The plans were found in his possession.
(3) Because from one of the islands through which the northern line of
the Treaty of Paris runs, situated only a pleasant morning's journey
in a launch due north of Aparri, the northernmost town of Luzon, you
can see, on a clear day, with a good field-glass, the southern end of
Formosa, some 60 or 70 miles away. Japan can land an army on American
soil at Aparri any time she wants to, overnight--an army several
times that of the total American force now in the Philippines, [356]
or likely ever to be there. From Aparri it is 70 miles up the river to
Tueguegarao, 40 more to Iligan, and 90 more, all fairly good marching,
to Bayombong, in Nueva Viscaya (total distance, Aparri to Bayombong,
200 miles) the province which lies in the heart of the watershed of
Central Luzon. I know what I am talking about, because that region
was the first judicial district I presided over, and many a hard
journey I have had over it, circuit riding, on a scrubby pony. Part
of it I have been through in the company of President Taft. It thus
appears that from Aparri to Bayombong there would be but a week or
ten days of unresisted marching to reach the watershed region, Nueva
Viscaya. The Japanese soldier's ration is mainly rice, so that he can
carry more days' travel rations than almost any other soldier in the
world. Never fear about their making the journey inside of a week or
ten days, once they start. To descend from the watershed aforesaid,
over the Caranglan Pass, and down the valley of the Rio Grande de
Pampanga to Manila, another three or four days would be all that would
be needed. It would be a Japanese picnic. Fortifying Corregidor Island,
at the entrance to Manila Bay, which is about all the serious scheme
of defence against a foreign foe we have out there, is quite like
the reliance of the Spaniards on Morro Castle, at the mouth of the
harbor of Santiago de Cuba, against our landing at Guantanamo. Our
garrison in the Philippines, all told, is but a handful. Aparri is an
absolutely unfortified seaport, at which the Japanese could land an
army overnight from the southern end of Formosa. There are no military
fortifications whatsoever to stay the advance of an invading army
from Aparri down the Cagayan Valley, and thence over the watershed
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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