The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-28
SPANS ASIATIC
POSSESSION
From the Chlcago Record.

States. It is recognized in all quarters that
the queen regent would have been willing
to let the Cuban insurrectionists have their
island without further protest had 1t not
been for the fact that giving UP probably
would have melted, an instruction at
home, resulting in the loss of the crown to
her son before he should have a chance to
wear 1t. It is quite as reasonable a proba-
billy that the Philippine 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 possessions 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 war
ships in Cuban waters and other American
warships moving on Manila, Spain bids fair
to lose the Philippines quite as surely as II
it had taken the other horn of the dilemma.
Information concerning the PHILIPPINE
islands is not very plentiful. They are lar
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 a succession of revolt against
Spanish cruelty. and that it will be very
easy for the American fleet now advancing
on the colony to capture it promptly.
Manila the capital city of the colony and
of Luzon, the largest island lies 62S miles,
or sixty hours easy steaming, southeast of
Hong Kong, and twice that distance north
east of Singapore. The population of the
city is about 800 600, of whom only 10000
including troops, government officials and
clergy-are Europeans and not more than
500 are English-speaking people. few
American houses have branches in Manila,
so that there is an American population of
perhaps 100. The city faces fine bay, into
which flows the river 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 Span
ish The army of Spanish civil, religious,
military and naval officials is 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 services to the
government in Spain. 1t is quite well I'M
derstood that such an appointee is expected
to gain fortune as rapidly as he can, by
any method possible, that he may give
way for some else to be brought over
from Spain for similar reward. The poll
cy is the same as the colonial policy of
Spain in Cuba has been, and the same re-
suits have followed
Manila has cable connection with the rest
of the world and regular lines of passenger
steamers. The European colony has its
daily papers, which are, however, under
strict censorship, religious and military,
and keeps up with the news and fashions of
the day. Until the instruction of the last
two years the army, except two Spanish
brigades of artillery and a corps of en-
Sineers, was composed of natives, and con-
sisted of seven regiments of infantry and
one of cavalry. There was also a 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 insurrec-
top began, Spain shipped to its far7off
colony all the men who could be spared
from service in Cuba, and after a few
months of fighting it was announced that
the rebellion was crushed. AS a matter of
fact, however, Spain has control of but
comparatively small part of the islands,
and the natives elsewhere are as free from
obligation to pay Spanish taxes as they
were before the discovery. Spain has Ma
Mia and tho other ports and the plantations
near the cities. The rest of the country
cannot 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, circumnavigator, and
were conquered by Spain~and made a COL
ony in the reign of Philip H., for whom
they were named. half a century later.
Spanish sway never has extended over
more than half of the 400 islands of the
archipelago, the others remaining under
their native wild tribes and Mohammedan
rulers. The conjectural area is about 120,-
900 square miles, and the estimated pop
ulation about 100000. About half this area
and three-fourths of the population are
i'll.
surrection 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 backward. The Roman Cath
Ollie clergy have been Industrious and prob
ably $500 900 natives are nominal converts to
the Christian religion; but education has
advanced very little among them. There
is Roman Catholic archbishop of Ma
Mia, besides three bishops
The history of the Philippines has in
cluded a succession of revolutions against
Spanish authority, put down by ferocious
warfare and cruelty on the part OF the
yictors The conversion and subjugation
of the islands were not accompanied by
unite the horrors that characterized the
Spanish conquest of South America, but
the record is second only to that Manila
was captured by the English in 1762 and
was held by them for two years until
G1 900 ,000 Contests with repelllouS trlpes,
ransomed by the Spanish by payment or
attacks by pirates, volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes and tornadoes help to 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 large one. For many years
after the conquest but one vessel year
was permitted to ply between Manila and
the Standardization port of Acapulco.
Then the number was increased to 1--WE.
Then Spanish chartered company was
given a monopoly of the trade of the
islands. When that monopoly expired
other houses began business, and now many
large English and German firms share the
trade with the Spaniards, while American
houses and American ships are by no
means at the foot of the list. Even now,
however, the manufacture of cigars is a
government monopoly, and only half a
dozen ports are open to foreign commerce.
| The total volume of the exports and i'm
ports is about SIS, 600, 900 annually.
| The manufactures of the Philippines con-
| sist chiefly of textile fabrics of pineapple