The San Francisco call., 1899-05-27
Review of Past and Present Con.
ditiOns in the Islands.
Philippines Land Rich in Natural Wealth
and Resources Natives Not to
Be Depended On.

- -
United States forces in the
island of Negros. p. l. The letter deals
with the conditions now existing in the
newly acquired territory and besides
being instructive is particularly inter
esung TO Californians when considered
in The light of the future intimate re-
lauons. business and social, that will
prevail between this State and the
Philippines Following is the letter in
full:
Headquarters, Sub-military District of
me Isle OF Negros, Bacolod, p. l., April
Hon James ID. Phelan. San Francisco
Dear Friend: l must apologize TO you
sincerely for failure TO suitably acknowl-
edge up 10 this time the many courtesies
and kinonesSes which you have unremit-
Jlngly extended to this regiment and to
myself My only plea in mitigation Is
that the excitement of campaigning,
changes from one station to another and
routine. and detail work involved my prl-
Nate correspondence in such confusion
that up 10 this time I have failed to meet
the obligation due both to friendship and
l have received many letters from
friends and relatives of some OF the boys
81 NE reglInehI- asking me 10 seclr ~
their discharge from the service. 10
many ! have explained that the power
To discharge those enlisted in the service
does not reside with me save upon eN-
piratiOn of term Of enlistment Many Of
those who have communicated with me
on the subject, however, have not been
answered as owing 10 my departure 10
the island Of NegroS l was compelled 10
leave much of my correspondence in Ma
Mia VIII you be kind enough TO have II
announced that such applications must
be made by the enlisted men to the SeCre-
LaTy of War. through military channels,
and that until q suitable force Of regulars
Is ON the. ground ready TO take the place
Of volunteers il Is not likely that such
si9eration unless the enlisted man be 50
disabled as 10 be unable TO perform mill
IsIy duty
1 have noticed that some Of the papers
have expressed dissatisfaction that l have
uOL taken some steps TO have the regiment
sent home That course was not open to
me inasmuch as every man in the reg1-
nenI pledged his service to the Govern
meu1 Tor TWO years OF course there was
z moral obligation on the Government TO
dispense with the volunteers as soon as
the necessities of the case would permit,
bun for my part l felt that the conclusion
Of peaCs with Spain would not be an END
Of The trouble J have always believed
from the very first that the conflict with
Aguinaldo and his ambitious leaders must
come and thai neither diplomacy, KIND
treatment nor guarantees OF any KIND
could avert il From the time of our
arrival in LuZOn on the Seth day OF June
10 the present hour not one act Of kind
ness on the part Of AgulnaldO 10 the army
can De SHOWN as an earnest u MS SOVu
will toward the United States On the
contrary, everything that could be done
10 annoy haraSs and embarTass the Op-
erarions Of the American Land forces was
done With this state. of the case con-
EfanfIy before my eyes and knowing that
TWO independent armies could not long
claim jurisdiction over the same territory
without collision, l could not well put
The regiment in q d1scredltable position
by asking that 1t be sent home. when al
most Al any moment active service might
BEGIN In that opinion have always teIt
! have had the support OF an oyerWhelm-
ing majority in the regiment l am Ger
tain that when the Government mas no
further use for their services they Will
send the volunteers TO the homes and oc-
cupations 10 which they have been ac-
CUstomed- and no one pIdys more deYout-
ly Tor the speedy arrival OF thar nouf
than ] do, but the country is the best
Judge Of the time when our services can
be dispensed with and TO that judgment
We must obediently submit
RumOrs have come to me from the
United States by private correspondence
and otherwise that am beng put IN
training for some political office Ihls, IN
Justice to myself l cannot permit vol
unteered- as old all the others OF the
regiment from no selfish motive, and l
cannot by my conduct give justification
for The statement that my service has
been ac1uated or Induced by any other
motive Al present l feel that l enjoy the
good Will Of all the citizens OF my state,
not for what / have done but by reason
of what the regiment has accomplished
and ! DO not propose 10 CTeaLe any Olner
feeling through Lhe medium OF a pollu-
cal csnpaign OF 10 take advantage Of a
sentiment which belongs TO the regiment,
Nv one ambition in life to see active
service has been gratihed- and shall be
perfectly content TO return Wnen the war
is over TO the peaceful pursuits OF CIVIL
life where ! may without dlSpule retain
the friendship and respect OF all my fel-
low citizens regardless Of party or polfti-
Of the Philippine Islands much has been
said IN The columns Of the papers and
much in the magazine articles concern
ing their beauty and resources Dut
they must be seen to be ap-
Iyrecfa1ed- The soil is inexhaustibly fer
lie and produces sugar cane coffee, to
bacro hemp. rice. the cacao bean from
which chocolate is made and the fiber Of
the pima and jusi cloth In the interior
forests of valuable woods untouched by
the hand Of man OF its mines but little
is known save thai coal Deds are Ger
tajntY and Of a great extent MANY eA-
merits assert however, that the coal is
what might more properly be called Ilg-
mite Some gold has been found IN the
beds Of the rivers. and II is said that
there are rich stores OF the valuable metal
in LuZon and MindanAo-
These tales Of rich gold deposits lack lat
confirmation. save in the particular that
gold Is 10 be found. but where ana IN
what quantities has not been deHn1Lely
determined With all its agricultural re-
sources. wealth Of valuable woods, stores
Of coal and probably gold 800 years OF
Spanish rule has brought about but uttle
OF QeEelOIJ1ntIIa and nOthlnB o. Tie Hdt,
uTal progress which sz1ch resources Would
seem 10 justify Spain as far as her clVA
and military administration was con
cerDed- appears 10 have confined her et.
forts TO The territory in the vicinity or
the coast line Vast ,racts of territory
in the interior were left practically un-
der the iDdeDendent control Of the. ma
tive tribes and races who. with the ex-
ception Of the missionaries. seldom saw
q Span1ard- and so the development OF
the interior has not been in proportion
10 the resources, and little development
made can be attributed wholly to the mis-
sionaries-
Rice and cane fields are cultivated with
a wooden plow- Crops are cut with a
wishbone. having d rude knife fixed in
one Of the arms The rice IS separated
from the husk by striking IL IN d wooden
bowl with a long stick and is winnowed
by the slight breezes that sometimes blow
in the Philippines The sugar cane is
crushed beneath rude rollers, trodden out
with the feet boiled in funny watts and
finally resolved into crude brown sugar
fine IN quality. but uninyiting in appear
ance-
There are no saWn15llR in the woods.
no planning 2-n11lls 10 smooth the surface Of
the lumber. and smooth floors and poll
ished surfaces are produced through the
medium Of the ha1chet and the exercise
Of muscle The 5usl and pima cloth are
woven with hand looms and the produc-
ton Of a single Dress means world of