The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-01
SPANS Asiatic Possessions.

SPANS Asiatic Possessions.
Spain has reason for fear that the loss
OF Cuba will be but one OF the disasters
TO befall 1t in the present war with the
United States. 1t is recognized in all quar-
tiers that the queen regent would have
been willing to let the Cuban insurrection-
lists have their island without further pro-
test had il not been for the fact that Civ
ing up probably would have melted an in
surrection at home, resulting in the loss
OF the crown TO her son before he should
have chance to wearit. 1t Is quite as
reasonable probability that the Phillip
pine islands, that splendid colony of Spain
in the East Indies. would have been lost
to Spanish control at the same time. and
that the island Of Puerto Rico. the last
remnant OF SPANS great colonial posses
sions in the western hemisphere after
Cuba is gone. would have gained freedom,
too. Now, having spurned the only course
in Cuban affairs the United States would
permit; with American warships in Cuban
waters and other American warships
moving on Manila, Spain bids fair 10 lose
the Philippines quite as surely as If it
had taken the other horn of the diem
ma.
Information concerning the Philippine
islands is not very plentiful They are far
out of the lines of tourist travel, and few
voyagers around the world reach them
Enough is known to prove that the colony
| Is of great value to Spain; that its history
has been succession of revolt against
Spanish rule and Spanish cruelty, and that
| it win be very easy for the American
fleet now advancing on the colony to cap
ture it promptly.
| Manila, the capital city of the colony
and Of Luzon. the largest island. lies SIS
miles, or 60 hours easy steaming, south
east Of Hong Kong, and twice that dis
lance northeast of Singapore. The popu-
| lation of the city is about $4,000 of whom
! 10. 0O0-including troops, government OIL
Gals and clergy-are Europeans, and not
more than 500 are English speaking peo-
pie. A few American houses have branch
es in Manila, so that there is an Ameri-
can population of perhaps 100. The city
| faces fine bay, into which flows the Fiv-
er Passig. Most of the Europeans live in
Binondo. a beautiful suburb on higher
ground. across the river. There are many
native dialects. but the social, official and
business idiom Is Spanish. The army OF
| Spanish civil, religious. military and ma
val officials is a leech on the people In
| the same fashion as in Cuba. All the
places OF profit are monopolized by them
appointments to choice Offices in the
Philippines being given to those whom it
! is desired to reward for service TO the gov
eminent in Spain II is quite well under
stood that such an appointee is expected
to gain fortune as rapidly as he can.
by any method possible, so that he may
give way for some one else to be brought
over from Spain for a similar reward. The
policy is the same as the colonial policy
OF Spain in Cuba has been. and the same
results have followed.
Manila has cable connection with the
rest of the world and regular lines OF
passenger steamers. The European coll
ony has its daily papers, which are. how
ever, under strict censorship, religious
and military, and keeps up with the news
and the fashions of the day. Until the
instruction of the last two years. the
army, except two Spanish brigades of ar
tillery and a corps of engineers. was COM
posed of natives and consisted of seven
regiments of infantry and one OF cavalry.
There were also body Of Spanish militia
in Manila, a volunteer corps similar to
that of Havana which could be called
out by the captain-general in the event
Of need. When the latest insurrection be-
gan, Spain shipped to its far-of colony
all the men who could be spared from SER
vice in Cuba, and after a few months Of
fighting ii was announced that the REBEL
ion was crushed. AS a matter of fact. how
ever, Spain has control of but compare
lively small part of the Islands, and the
natives elsewhere are as FREQ from obliga-
ton to pay Spanish taxes as they were
before the discovery. Spain has Manila
and the other ports and the plantations
near the cities. The rest Of the country
can not be subdued by any force that
Spain can bring to bear. unless the leaders
of the instruction choose to lay down
their arms.
The Philippine islands were discovered
in 1921 by Magellan, the ciroumnavigator,
and were conquered by Spain and made
a colony in the reign of Philip II, for
whom they were named, half a century
later. Spanish sway never was extended
over more than half Of the LOO islands
OF the archipelago. the others remaining
under their native wild tribes and Mo-
hammedan rulers. The contectured area
is about 120, 900 square miles, and the es-
timated population about Z 900 About
half this area and three-quarters of this
population are nominally under Spanish
rule. but the insurrection has left things
in a good deal Of doubt. The remainder
of the people are governed according to
their own customs, by Independent native
princes. Education is exceedingly back
ward. The Roman Catholic clergy have
been industrious, and probably 2500.000 ma
tives are nominal converts TO the Chris
tian religion; but education has advanced
very little among them There is Ro-
man Catholic archbishon ~ Manila no
sides three bishops.
The history Of the PHILIPPINES has in
Guided a succession of revolutions against
Spanish authority, put down by ferocious
warfare and cruelty on the part Of the vic
tors. The conversion and subjugation OF
the islands were not accompanied by quite
the horrors that characterized the Span
ish conquest Of South America. but the
record IS second only to that. Manila was
captured by the English in 1852, and was
held by them for years until ransomed by
the Spanish BY payment Of 81. 90 60.
Contests with rebelIious tribes. attacks
by pirates. volcanic eruptions, earth
quakes and tornadoes help 70 break the
monotony Of the history.
Trade restrictions have hampered the /
commercial progress OF the colony. but in (
spite Of that fact their trade with the out
side world IS a large one. For many years /
after the conquest but one vessel a year /
was permitted 10 ply between Manila and !
the Spanish-American port OF Acapulco. /
Then the number was increased 70 five. /
Then Spanish chartered company Hzs /
given q monopoly OF the trade Of the Is I
lands. When that monopoly expired 9TH /
e- houses began business a5d now many i
TF-L q -.