The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-15
THE CAROLINE ISLANDS
spain's other Archipelago Which
May Soon Be Ours.

Stars and stripes may SOON wave, lornn
a large archipelago 300 miles wide at
the widest part and 1880 miles long.
They are also known as the Ladrones
or Thieves Islands. They were dscov-
cred by Magellan in 1921 and were oc-
cupicd by Spain in 1852 At the present
time the term Caroline is applied to
the group running east and west and
Iadrones TO a smaller group running
roughly north and south. Some OF the
islands are Of volcanic origin, the lead
ing rock being bassalt, the rest being
coral Scientists are of the opinion
that many, IL not most, of the coral
isles are the SUBMITS rock. Under
Spanish rule the natives were practice
ally slaves, and the islands went from
bad to worse.
They finally grew so poor that both
the church and state withdrew their
organizations and left the inhabitants
to themselves. Yet the land is mar
velously fertile, and under wise and
thoughtful administration could be
made rich and happy. At the time of
their discovery the native population
was large, but what with cruelty, tyr
amy and their long train of conse-
quences, their numbers are scarcely
AS early as 1852 American mission
aries tried to civilize and Christianize
these islanders. They established set
Elements at Ponape and Kusaie. Their
efforts were very successful. The ma
tives learned a little English. built
| better houses, wore more suitable
| clothing. and became thriftier and
more Industrious than they had been
under the ancient regime.
In 1883, thirty-two or thirty-three of
| the islands were practically Christian
| lied, and had schools and churches un-
| der the direction of American mission
| aries. The last available report shows
| that ten years ago there were no less
| than forty-seven churches in the arch
| ipelago, with 4,5OO members.
Spain. to whom the pope had award
ed the islands in 1885. sent a man-of-
war there in 1887. carrying marines,
soldiers, and, odd to relate, convicts,
and took actual possession of the ter
ritory. They arrested the leading
| American clergyman, who had been
there for thirty years; they destroyed
the mission schools, confiscated the
| land ceded to the missions, and deport-
| ed the missionaries.
In 1890 the natives, unable to stihe
any longer their indignation. rose up
| ond slew many of the soldiers and
| convicts. In September of that year
| the Spaniards sent a gunboat and 500
soldiers from Manila, which put an end
| to all missionary work and to large
number of Christian natives at the
| same time.
The native churches kept up a quasi
organization, but they are liable to be
suppressed at any moment by the
Spanish authorities and their preach
ers, deacons, teachers, and leading
members arrested, fined, imprisoned, or
shot. In the past eight years Spain
has done nothing to improve the islands
or the condition of the people. 1t has
eXtorted what little property it could
from the poor inhabitants. and through
its soldiers has introduced much i'm
morality and vice.
The natives are Polynesian-nearer
to the Malay than to the Hawaiian
| type. They are brown and dark
brown in color. well built, muscular
and vigorous. Some of the young men
are quite handsome, and many of the
young women graceful, attractive and
| even pretty. They are very docile,
| kindly, and affectonate, and under
| proper auspices make model citizens
in every respect.
| The seat of government is at Agana
situated on a narrow arm of the sea or
river called Apra. Here there is a
| governors house, a military hospital,
an arsenal barracks, prison, court
house, and other administrative edi-
| fees. There is also a college for boys
| and a girls school.
| In the seven largest towns the
Spanish state and church together
maintain four boys schools, five girls
schools and nine mixed schools, under
| the direction of twenty male and six
| female teachers. The entire number OF
| students is nominally 800 and actually
about eighty. few of the teachers hav-
ing been paid their salaries and no ex-
ertion being made to secure attend
ance by the little ones.
How the islands are used for politi-
cal purposes by Spain can be seen in
| the Spanish blue book. For the East
| Carolines there is lieutenant coll
| onel, with full staff, and for the West
| Carolines there is another lieutcnant-
colonel with a full staff, then for the
| l.adrones there is a third lieutenant
colonel and staff.
There is provincial administrator
at each place, judge, a commissioner
and ten or fifteen smaller officials.
The Spanish record gives some curious
reading in regard to these islanders.
During the first century of Spanish
rule the natives, according TO the
chroniclers. became possessed by a
devil of insubordhation and riot They
persisted in carrying weapons, al
though they were severely flogged and
afterward shot for the offense.
Native women refused TO marry, and
native mothers threw their children
into the sea in order, says the Castil-
ian historian, to diminish the poll tax,
and also to secure happiness in the
heather hereafter. These disorders
displeased heaven because, after they
had lasted a long time and bafIied the
government, Providence sent a great
pestilence, which killed off nearly all
Of the riotous spirits in the islands.
During 100 years the Spanish govern
ment was never able to collect any di-
rect taxes, and not even today, with
all the ingenious modes of indirect
taxation. have the receipts been equal
to one-half the expenditures. The 9TH
er half is betrayed from the taxes lev
led in the Philippines.