MAXILOM TO MILITARY COMMANDER OF PROVINCE, APRIL 20, 1899

Exhibit 1392.

[Original in Spanish. Contemporary copy. P. I. R., 124.4.]

APRIL 20, 1899.

To the Military Commander in this province:

The military zones of this island were organized in accordance with the political exigencies of the period and not in accordance with the real military needs of the situation. These conditions having changed as was natural the swollen torrents of passion rushed in bearing upon their turbulent waves ambition, selfishness and self-interest but now those torrents have become a gentle stream of clear water saturated with abnegation and love of country, hence there is now no obstacle to prevent the establishment of the reforms which have long been urgently demanded, there is no danger now that such reforms will be swept down by the rushing waters into the tumultuous sea of discord. In the present reorganization all the conditions both topographical and strategical which will serve to permit a prompt and effective mobilization of the force stationed in the island have been maturely considered. Nevertheless on account of certain reasons which it is useless to discuss at present, this merely provisional plan of reorganization docs not provide for certain deficiencies; these will be covered by a definite and final plan which will be adopted at a more opportune period.

In accordance with the reasons expressed above the head of the General Staff who signs this document has the honor to propose to you this project of a decree. God keep you many year.

El Pardo, April 20th, 1899.


DECREE

Upon the suggestion of the head of the General Staff of this province and after consultation with the head of the province and the council of government I decree the following:

ARTICLE I. The province of Cebu will be provisionally divided into six military zones, in accordance with the table attached. These zones will be commanded by generals of this army whose rank will be dependent upon the importance of the zone as well as upon the topographic and strategical position and the richness and density of population of the zone.

ARTICLE II. The Staff of each zone will be composed of an adjutant, a secretary and a judge advocate (juez instructor) who will all belong to the army in active service and who will have the military rank given in the following table.

ARTICLE III. The judge advocate must be a field officer, and will act as commander of the zone in case of the illness or absence of the permanent commander: he will however under these conditions continue to carry on his own duties.

ARTICLE IV. In every pueblo field and line officers of the militia and volunteers will be appointed; these will be the commanders in the vicinity. The rank will depend upon the importance of the place and they will organize their commands of militia as herein provided, these organizations will form the tactical units which correspond to the rank of their commanders, the unit of organization of these commands will be a section composed of 32 men exclusive of corporals and sergeants, each section will be commanded by a lieutenant.

ARTICLE V. If in any place there are two or more tactical units commanded by officers of the same grade, the commander of the whole will be the senior or the one who is oldest.

ARTICLE VI. The military commander of the pueblo in which the headquarters of the zone is established will act for the judge advocate (juez instructor) when he is absent or sick or when he is serving in the place of the commander.

ARTICLE VII. The body of militia will be governed by regulations which will be issued to the pueblos at an opportune period. It will be a purely military body entitled to the same privileges and to the same consideration as the army and will be considered under the regulations upon the subject as being in the condition of the reserve in active service.

ARTICLE VIII. When the soldiers as well as the officers of this body are inhabitants of the pueblo in which it is organized, the officers will preferably be selected from among those who have already received appointments but if their rank is greater than that appropriate to the command of the force which is being organized they must submit to a corresponding reduction for this is required by the tactical organization of the force to whose command they have been assigned. If they are not willing to submit to this reduction they will occupy the position of officers of the second reserve.

ARTICLE IX. The soldiers in the militia will draw neither pay nor rations. The officers will draw a monthly pay which will be specified in the regulations as payment for the tactical training which they will give to the forces under their orders.

ARTICLE X. Members of this body will not be obliged to render any ordinary services within the limits in which they reside unless their employment be necessary to repress some public disorder. They will however be required to assemble for purposes of instruction once a week at the appointed day and hour which will be selected so as not to interfere with the occupations and employments in which they are engaged.

ARTICLE XI. The military commander of the province or the commander of the zones may mobilize the number of militia which he sees fit in case of real and present need or in case of orders from higher authority; in this case the soldiers as well as the officers will receive the same pay and allowances as do the members of the army in active service of corresponding grades, until such time as they cease to so serve and return to their respective homes.

ARTICLE XII. The officers of the army on active service who desire to be appointed to the command of zones or to the command of organic units even when this command is only provisional in character until such time as some military academy of the nation duly authorized, declares their compentency, sufficiency and capacity to discharge the duties required by their rank, must take an examination before a board composed of five persons who will be appointed by the Council of Government upon the nomination of the superior military commander of the province. The examination will be limited to the subjects which are strictly necessary and will be more or less extensive depending upon the rank of the applicant. Only two forms of certification will be employed; "approved" or "disapproved."

ARTICLE XIII. For anyone to be appointed an officer or field officer of the militia he must fulfill the following conditions. His conduct must be certified to by the popular junta. He must have some known and honorable occupation. He must know the duties of a soldier including those of a colonel, he must know how duties are assigned, military honors, the keeping of rosters, the penal laws, tactics of a section, company and battalion, accountability for property and administration, duties of a recorder, knowledge of the parts of a rifle and he must be able to instruct in target practice.

ARTICLE XIV. The militia forces whose creation was ordered by a decree of these headquarters dated January 31st of the present year will be reorganized in accordance with the provisions of this decree.

ARTICLE XV. The militia force of this province will be composed of six regiments of ten companies each; each company will be composed of three sections of 32 men exclusive of officers and noncommissioned officers.

ARTICLE XVI. Both officers and soldiers of the militia will be exempt only from the payment of the sum due in place of personal service (prestacion personal) and from the payment of half of the poll tax or certificate of citizenship (cedula personal).

TEMPORARY PROVISIONS.

For convenience of the service the first zone will be under the control of the general staff (Estado Mayor) whose head will be its commander. Officers who desire to command zones or organic units of the army will be notified to appear between May 1st and May 15th before the board organized by Article XII. That they should have the duties stated and be possessed of the certificate of the examining board are prerequisites, they will not draw the pay given in the estimates. El Pardo, April 22nd, 1899.


This project of a decree providing for the organiaztion of zones in this province having been submitted for approval to the head of the staff forward it to the head of the province for the decision of his council of government upon the matters with which it is concerned. The superior military commander. A. Maxilom. There is the seal of the Revolutionary Army. Headquarters. Cebu. A copy.


NOTE BY THE COMPILER. - I have condensed the tabular statement of zones and forces which are given in detail in the original. The zones follow the coast line as Cebu is a long and narrow island; the first zone extended from Cebu to Argao, the second from Dumaguete to Samboan, the third from Aloguisan to Tuburan, the fourth from San Remigio to Madridijos, the sixth from Carmen to Tudela. Headquarters were to be at Cebu, the first and third zones were to be commanded by major generals the others by brigadier generals. The first zone was to have 12 companies, the second 8 companies, the third 11 companies, the fourth 7 companies, the fifth 12 companies, the sixth 10 companies]