LUKBAN the industry and commerce .
Major Allen said he could do no less “ than protest against the savage and barbarous act of burning houses and carrying off and killing the helpless , as directly opposed to morality and civilization , and in a great measure destructive of the political states and conducive to retrogression and odious savagery and barbarism ... These acts are committed almost daily by seditious bands under pretext of defending their country and securing their independence . They march through the mountains committing almost every class of crime .” 19
Thenceforth , Allen ordered the “ vigorous prevention of the sale and importation of rice and other articles of first necessity in all towns that have not submitted .” To implement this , he urged them to exercise “ excessive vigilance ” to prevent the sending of food to towns that have not submitted them to American rule . He placed detachments of 80 to 100 men in towns along the coasts and the interior . Evidently , this was to put pressure on the native population so that the rebel forces would be denied support , essentially food items .
To show his loyalty to the Americans , the jefe local of Calbayog offered Major Gilmore 100 bolomen to accompany an expedition to Oquendo , “ proving that a change for the better is beginning in that locality .”
In the east coast at Borongan , a native company was likewise organized as Allen had recommended , and a boat placed at his disposal . “ Further loss on this island would be insignificant , and the insurgent bands will find their avenues of supply cut off on all sides ,” he wrote . Since harvest was just beginning , Allen advised to send troops there at the soonest to prevent the rebels from getting their food . 20
But none of Allen ’ s changes of strategy seemed to work as subsequent events would show . Lukban ’ s forces continued marauding the countryside around major as well as smaller towns , indicating that they were alive and well in their rebellious enterprise .
Endnotes
1 Doroquez , Quintin L ., “ The Battle of Catubig ”, August 26 , 2006 , http :// gugma . samarnews . net / articles / article29 . htm 2 “ Report of an Engagement with Insurgents at Catubig , Island of Samar , April 15 to 19 , 1900 ,” By Capt . H . M . Dey , Forty-Third Infantry , U . S . V . 3 Op . Cit ., Doroquez 4 Op . Cit ., Dey 5 Ibid 6 Op . Cit ., Doroquez 7 Op . Cit ., Dey 8 A local term for maelstrom because the water in that segment of the river is
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