New-York tribune., 1899-06-07
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

The Commission sent to the Philippines by the
President was selected primarily 10 ascertain
and report facts, and is doing that remark
ably well. Thus Professor Dean C. Worcester
one of the Commissioners, has cabled to 1.-The
Chicago Times Herald" declaration regarding
the reports that inhabitants or insurgents were
being cruelty treated by United States soldiers
He pronounces the stories false in every in
stance about which he has personal knowledge
and believes them false in all other instances;
has personally inspected all the battlehelds an1
never saw 4 woman or child dead or wounded;
has seen wounded rebels whose injuries had
"been dressed by American surgeons before the
"fring had ceased and others who were
brought to Manila hospitals for treatment and
''can hardly be driven away" and declares it
absolutely false that any order was ever issued
Cooking toward the killing Of men who might
s'be captured"
This official and wholly competent refutaton
of revolving and incredible accusations ought to
put an end TO them. but an even more valuable
part Of Professor WOrcester's statement Is his
conclusive disposition of the falsehood that the
Philippine Inhabitants are substantially united
against the Americans. II should be said that
no man could give higher testimony on this
question than Professor Worcester, both be-
cause of his previous knowledge Of the Philip
pine Islands and because of the opportunity to
investigate all accounts from all parts of the
archipelago which his previous knowledge and
acquaintance made peculiarly valuable His
statement of the case is therefore testimony
from the highest source obtainable nor will any
question his good faith In this assertion:
1t is great mistake TO suppose we are fight
Ing the Eilipinos as whole. AT least so per
cent OF the population detest the war and the
only serious trouble is In a few Tagalog prov
inces In Luzon. Other provinces in this island
are now compelled by the armed force OF the in
surgents 10 submit TO Tagalog rule. The people
In them are praying for the coming OF Ameri-
cans. The present rulers are hated on account
OF their jobbery and oppression. and even among
the Tagalogs the common people want peace
II Is exceedingly gratifying to find these state
ments, repeatedly made with abundant reasons
for believing them true, now made on the high.
est authority. 1t has been declared many times
that the Visayan and other inhabitants Of ISL
ands south of Luzon, partly because of conflicts
many years ago, have long been intensely hos
tile to the Tagals that this race had no power
except on the island Of Luzon and could not
control half of that except by terrorism or force
so that any assent TO the demands of the Luzon
insurgents would have been utterly unjusufa
ble. 1t must be admitted that these statements
officially sustained, put an end to all pre-
tepce that the Tagal insurgents are demanding
their rights or have any right to govern or TO
speak for the other inhabitants.
Professor Worcester declares that at least so
per cent OF the Inhabitants hate the present
rulers On account of their jobbery and oppres-
sion. and that even among the Tagals the com
mon people want peace. But 1.-The common
people" is phrase which cannot be employed
by Professor Worcester with reference to any
thing less than majority. If more than half
the Tagalogs want peace and so per cent of the
whole population detest the war, the attitude of
the United States would indeed he deserving OF
condemnation and shame IL by its consent the
power to establish q corrupt and tyrannical des-