New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-29
LIGHT ON THE PHILIPPINES.
sPANIARDS TOO INCIDENT TO COUNT
THE SWARMING ISLANDERS

POPULATION AND THE AREA or THE
GRoUP-wn.D AND TAME NATIVES
AND A MIXTURE OF RACES
Cavite, July % (SpeciaD Spain has had pos
session Of the Philippine Islands for several CEN
turtles. yet in all that time she has never been
able 10 corner and hold all Of her unwilling sub
iects long enough to count them accurately. and
her easy going representatives have lacked the
energy even to enumerate survey the hun
dreds OF islands composing the group. As
result. accurate Information upon either popula-
ton or area simply cannot be obtained. The
American naval officers have gone into beth
subjects carefully and have made estimates
Of both. based upon the best official in
formation obtainable end their own observa-
tons making allowance for certain conditions
encountered They place the population u the
group at 7.j000n The area at $4,000 square
miles and the number OF Islands including the
small ones, a, 200 Recent Spanish reports
from the provinces and islands where the Cas-
titan is completely established and his Gov
eminent duly recognized show the entirely tame
population 70 De 597634l The same repor,
places the number Of natives who defy Spanish
authority At 6320"0 In the Philippines and
10000 in the Carolines and adds the faci that
there no doubt many concealrnents in ihe
connection, the pure Chinese are credited with
an actual registration OF 1896 and evasions
and oCncealments TO the number of 24S4S or
81 per cent Of the number acknou lodged by the
willy heather. The natural instinct # the ma
tives and coolies has been to avoid KNOWLEDGE
OF their existence on the part IF officials as dis
covery and registration have meant harassing
taxes.
STRENGTH OF THE WILD TRIBES
Spain has never been al peac, vita al. o., tho
black subjects despite sundrv claims As to COM
pete pacifcaton. As stated alto e. tn. official
census returns gave the strength OF the inde-
pendent tribes at G92 COO hut the number il
probably far in excess of tha- Mndanao and
Basilan with 2o9ooo Paraeua and the Soiu or
Jolo group. with 10000 and the Calolces with
10000 are officially credited beine the strong
holds that have defed the red and yellow hut
they are alone in their defiance. There are
thousands Of natives on the island OF Luzon who
can see the shining towers and spires Of Manila
from their mountain retreats who defy the SOL
diers Of Alfonso and pay no tribute to the i'm
perial treasury Mindanao. with its fierce and
warlike tribes. knows create freedom than all.
although in nearly every island there are tribes
who have remained unconquered for centuries
Their own ability warriors has been aided by
swamp. jungle and mountain Businesses Mod
ern methods of warfare have been useless
against them, and they nave almost invariably
triumphed Spanish experience here Is that
which Japan is now having in Formosa
Banco. now Captain General n Cuba vas
most successful Of all the leaders sent 70 Min
danao He closed a very successful campaign
there in the fan 81 1895 with the battle Of
Laguna de Lanao. in which he completely de-
feated and routed the allied tribes He crushed
The native army. blockaded the seaports and
stopped all trading until peace was sued for.
The fragments gathered soon after he left how
ever. and the actual gain was in the long run
materially reduced The two great centres OF
population are the bay OF Manila and the island
Of Panay. The four provinces fronting on Ma
Mia Bay contain nearly 1.000OOO people Tn.
Province OF Manila contains over 300 900 most
of whom live in the city Of Manila Panay is a |
formidable rival Of the countries OF the world
that boast OF dense populations. for with an
area OF 1880 square miles IL has a population
now placed at $4,000. The figures offer some
suggestions 10 the people of California who
BOAST Of better soil, more resources and bet
ter climate