Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-21
ASSEM- By S)RORkAN'
President Of the Philippine Commits
sion Talks of His observations
On the Islands.
Revolt is Not General In the Group
OF Islands-Aguinaldo's
Following.
Only the Tagalogs Are Fighting the
Americans-A Visit to
Sulu.

Sulu.
Chicago, Aug. 21.-The Tribune prints
an interview with President Schurman,
of the Philippine commission. while on
his way from the Pacific coast to
Plattsburg, N. Y, to report the results
of his mission to the president. While
Professor Schurman would not discuss
the war nor say what are the conclu-
slons he has reached, still he talked
fully and freely on subjects which are
outside his mission and from which his
Views on the policy to be pursued in
the islands may be largely inferred.
The report of President Schurman
has not been prepared. Its preparation
will be preceded by this conference.
Whether all that has been outlined in
summary in the foregoing will appear
in the report will depend largely on this
meeting. 1t is not known how many
of these points will need to be touched
upon, in the opinion of President Nc
kinley.
One conclusion is not far to find in
this connection. and that Ia that when
President Mckinley meets President
Schurman he will find a man who has
returned from the Philippines with
magnificent equipment for the discus
sion Of all that relates to them. Every
island of Importance in the group was
visited by him.
He sailed in the Bennington 1000
miles, going from island to island, and
did not stop until he had talked with
the sultan Of Suiu in his palace.
He is full of laboriously obtained In
formation of the political.
social and commercial. In many of his
opinions he disagrees with other au-
thorities, but this is because he has
based his opinions not only upon what
exists today, but upon what the future
fairly promises.
The Philippine question Will be set
tied before the next election ~ was ten
tatively suggested
II would be discussing the subject
matter Of my mission IL / answered
that" he said bluntly. Then, turning
toward the interrogation as If he had
| just thought of something that ought to
be common Knowledge, he said; Did
| you ever study a map OF the island of
Luzon-I mean one that shows the ter
ritory of the different tribes and the
areas Influenced by christianity?"
Then from his heap of odd looking
baggage that filled most of the space
1 of two sections of the sleeper he
brought out set of maps of the Phil
/ ippines and of China, but opening first
the map of Luzon.
"One-half of this island of Luzon is
Tagalog," he said. The Tagalogs are
the rebels. Aguinaldo is of course a
Tagalog. The Tagalogs comprise one
half of the people of Luzon and num-
Der about 100000 They are natives of
the provinces Of Wool, Pampango,
Pangasinanne Llocano and Cagayane.
'Vicol, which is in the south of the is
land, has population of 100000 in and
Iabout Manila. The province of Pam
pango has popula ton of 100000. The
province of Llocano, along the north
west coast, has population of 10000
and the province of Cagayane, which is
4 the place where the best tobacco IN the
world is grown, has population of 81
900.
/. Take, for instance, the province of
4 Eta. 1t was from there the bowmen
lcama that were encountered by our
Troops shortly after the outbreak. These
NATIVE. are of the negro type and they
lare not in revolt They are barbarians
land are dominated by the Tagalogs. All
of the barbarians of the island and
enough of the christians who are tc
make up the other 100000 of the pop
ulation are not rebels They are al
heart neutrals."
With these statements. made by 6
man who had facts at his command, u
, was easy to sum up the Philippine sit.
luatlon. With none but the Tagalogs II
revolt there is no more than the fighting
lforce that can come out of the popula
, ton of 1,5o0,o00, and that, too, one O
. none such resources as people tina
can produce its own manufactures
The task of subduing the Tagalogs II
: therefore not great one.
, The fighting strength of the Tagalog
lis reduced by the fact that they ar,
} compelled to keep a force in all of tn
: Islands of the Visayan group.
0 "In all OF the islands o. the Visayas.
t continued President Schurman, "th
!, ITagalogs are in armed force for TIL
. purpose of keeping the natives from be
4 coming active friends of the Unite
r States.
a These islands were seized by the Ia
: galogs, who now hold the natives in
e state of coercion. / talked with tn
: mayor of Cebu. the capital Of the islam
of Cebu, and he told me he did no
:, want to fight.
: 1--WE want our rice he said, an
h that's all we want. We do not wan
Z war
by his rice he meant that the sup
h ply of rice to the island had been Gu
e off by the rebellion of the Tagalogs.
r When the Tagalogs reached the is
: land of Negroes to foment rebellio
! and to make the natives pay tribute
II the rebels of Luzon the natives of Ne
:. gros would not let them remain Their
d The people of that island are not eve
t. in nominal revolt, being friendly to tn
st United States.
n I'm the island OF Panay, for instanc
d there are 1000 armed Tagalos sent b
d Aguinaldo to levy tribute and kee
,e them from exhibitions Of friendship
= u.s."
y What sort of people are the Tags
N los?"
We'll most Of them are christian
They and the people Of the Visayas ar
: parts Of the people Of the other islant
. of the Philippines are Catholics. col
:. vartad m chrisfia nitv by the Spaniard