American fury n the Philippines. XXXII / Loboo

BATANGAS, Dec. 26, I901.

I have become convinced that within two months at the outside there
will be no more insurrection in this brigade. We may not have secured
all the guns or caught all the insurgents by that time, and the
present insurrection will end and the men and the guns will be secured
in time.... I am practically sure they cannot remain here in Batangas,
Laguna, and a part of Tayabas. The people are now assembled in the
towns, with all the visible food supply except that cached by
insurgents in the mountains. For the next six days all station
commanders will be employed hunting insurgents and their hidden food
supplies within their respective jurisdictions. Population of each
town will be turned out, and all transportation that can be found
impressed to bring into government storehouses all food that is found,
if it be possible to transport it. If not, it will be destroyed.

I am now assembling in the neighborhood of twenty-five hundred men,
who will be used in columns of about fifty men each. I expect to
accompany the command. Of course, no such strength is necessary to
cope with all the insurgents in the Philippine Islands, but the
country is indescribably rough and badly cut up.... To the ravines and
mountains I take so large a command for the purpose of thoroughly
searching each ravine, valley, and mountain-peak for insurgents and
for food, expecting to destroy everything I find outside of town,. All
able-bodied men will be killed or captured. Old men, women, and
children will be sent to towns. This movement begins January x, by
which time I hope to have nearly all the food supply in the towns. If
insurgents hide their guns and come into the towns, it will be to my
advantage; for I shall put such a pressure on town officials and
police that they will be compelled to identify insurgents.t If I catch
these, I shall get their guns in time. I expect to first clean out the
wide Loboo Peninsula south of Bantangas, Tiasan, and San Juan de Boc
Boc road. I shall then move command to the vicinity of Lake Taal, and
sweep the country westward to the ocean and south of Cavite, returning
through Lipa.

I shall scour and clean up the Lipa Mountains. Swinging northward, the
country in the vicinity of San Pablo, Alaminos, Tananan, and Santo
Tomas, will be scoured, ending at Mount Maguiling, which will then be
thoroughly searched and devastated. This is said to be the home of
Malvar and his parents.

Swinging back to the right, the same treatment will be given all the
country of which Mount Cristobal and Mount Banabao are the main peaks.
These two mountains, Mount Maguiling, and the mountains north-east of
Loboo are the main haunts of the insurgents. After the 1rst of January
no one will be permitted to move about without a pass....
These people need a thrashing to teach them some good common sense,
and they should have it for the good of all concerned. Sixto Lopez is
now interested in peace because I have in jail all the male members of
his family found in my jurisdiction, and have seized his houses and
palay and his steamer.

General Bell