The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-05-05
The Philippines.

On account Of the remoteness Of the
Philippine Islands from US, their is
general ignorance on the part OF the
people OF the United States in regard to
them. III view OF the tact that there
will be many Developments there that
may effect the result of our war with
Spain, the following facts concerning
them are taken from the Cleveland
Leader:
"If the area of Italy, which is nearly
three times that Of Ohio, divided into
about two thousand islands, two fthem
each about as big as Ohio or Cuba, and
the rest ranging down to the mere rocky
islets, be pictured in the mind scattered
through some seventeen degrees of lat
itude and nine degrees of longitude,
fair beginning is made in getting a cor
rect idea of the size and form Of the
great group known as the Philippine
Islands. They lie off the east coast OF
Southern Asia, southeast of China and
east of farther India or Indo China. The
most southern islands of the group are
only four degrees from the equator.
"Being situated in such a part of the
world, it need hardly be said that the
Philippines are very fertile and produc'
tive. That they are tropical in climate
is to be taken for granted. The products
are many and of great variety. Natu'
rally, the population is large. 1t may be
1000 900 in all There has been no
complete census. About nine tenths of
the people are nominally, at least, Ro.
man Catholics. The great bulk of the
population is of the Malay race, and the
customs of the people, especially in the
large towns, are curious compound of
Spanish and Malay.
"Manilla, the chief city of the group,
is the largest center of population, ex
cept Madrid, and possibly Barcelona,
under the Spanish flag. With the sub.
urbs, it has about 300, 900 inhabitants 1t
is the objective point of the American
Asiatic squadron which left the coast of
China on Wednesday. The city hes
some Notifications, believed to be in a
very bad condition. 1t is also guarded,
to some extent, by the shallowness and
sometimes dangerous nature of the bay
on which it fronts. And the Spaniards
are believed to have laid few mines
in the harbor lately. As for the Spanish
war vessels which are reported to have
gone out to meetthe American squadron
they are numerous, but to small and
lightly armed to be fit te o fight the fine
new cruisers and big gun boats of the
United States.
Msnilla is the chief center of Spanish
trade in the far East. The city has an
important commerce with many parts
of the world. Its trade has been rapidly
increasing in the last half century, and
there is plenty of opportunity to do
damage by blockade Moreover, the
people of the Philippines are by no
means all loyal to Spain. Bloody and
desperate revolts have taken place with
in the last two years, led by some of the
chiefs OF the Moslem and pagan elements
of the population, which may represent
5 per cent of the whole number of in
habitants, and supported by other rest
less and discontinued natives OF course
these rebels will be melted to new activ.
ity by the coming of an American feet
Altogether it is not difficult to perceive
that the United States can strike Spain
bard in the distant group of islands lying
off the southeastern coast of Asia. We
shall not annex them even if they can
be wrested from Spain with any force at
our command. But they afford another
point at which Spanish arms can be
humbled and Spain brought to the stern
necessity of suing for peace. And it is
possible that the Philippines may be
lost to Spain altogether if the war should
last long.