New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-21
THE PHILIPPINE NATURE.
OBSERVATIONS OF DIR. GEORGE +.
BECKER, OF THE UNITED STATES
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
THE CAUSES THAT WILL MAKE FOR PEACE
OR WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES.

IL there TO be peace or war betWssH the II wv
oinos and ourselves? At present no one KNOWS
the answer to this question. ana every one
,yIshe, that he did. The cry among the natives
1T least among those who are vocal IL mae
incidence at any cost, ard the word seems to be
20 them nearly or quite az important az the
thing. Some well-informed people MAINTAIN
hat II the United States were to declare pro-
tectorate over the islands the natives would DC
Satisfied no matter what system Of government
might actually be introduced. and possibly this
would be the simplest way Of dealing with the
matter On the other hand. the natives do not
appear to be inquirlng what annexation would
mean. how far they would be personally free
what local autonomy they would enjoy. An
nexatlon and slavery they consider az synony-
nous. Their ideal seems to be this: Inc fh'-
ipp,nes to be absolutely independent. but
America to undertake their defence against
the outer world; the two countries TO be allies
but the United States to bear all the trouble.
risk and expense OF the alliance In return for
endless gratitude. They do not seem TO per-
ceive how childish Is such dream. nor is there
any evidence that they arc aware how helpless
they would be were the United States TO grant
them independence and leave them to the mer-
cies OF world afflicted with land-hunger
Not all Of the natives are thus unreasonable
IneTe are 6DTthHllOflStS anu 'ueIe biF
who. though they would like independence, see
that It is impractcable The question, peace
or war. depends upon which set Of natives car
r,es the day in their councils The sentiment
against annexation is actually producing re-
action In favor of Spain. one would suppose
this IMPOSSIBLE but they seem to argue that TX
they must submit to a despotism 1t would be
better to be ruled by Spaniards with whom they
ire in full intellectual sympathy, rather than
oy these Americans whom they do not In the
east comprehend. Unfortunately the oppo-
lents Of annexation are the ones whose voices
are heard, and, indeed II Is easy for these 10
put forward telling arguments against slavery
while the other party knows too little or the
United States 10 have command OF efficient
counter arguments.
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ATTITUDE.
The attitude Of the Observation-Disclosures can
best be illustrated by extracts from their or
CANS, La Independence" and La Republica
Filipino" The latter sheet on December
made this proclamation:
Never will the Philippine people consent to
such ignOmIny. They have shed their blood In
-orrents, and will shed It again, before they
will bow to the dominion Of foreigners. for,
however light, such dominion would be none
The less odious.
The "Independencia" OF the same date says:
Does the great free people Of North America
perchance intend to make slaves or usY Are
they going to impose their sovereignty upon US
oy force . :. oh, if IL is stratagem on
he part OF America TO buy the Philippines. In
order TO give us our independence. well may we
wait for it; but IL 1t Is a menace OF slaVery-no!
never, never may the country fall sacrifice!
On December 3 the same paper printed an
excited editorial under the caption, Let Us
Wait" Among other remarks are these:
The Filipinos hope with reason that Amer
ca win Immediately recognize their independ-
ence reimbursing itself for its expenses In some
way which VIII not defeat pe per- ssSer.
sh activity. None think of war; all hug peace.
How terrible II would be 10 undeceive people
80 situated The impulse and courage which It's
INDIGNATION would arouse could only be meas
Ired by the penitude Of its present confidence
. . Finally the country is ready to night Tor
its independence: that is certain. In
America itself the English troops. disciplined
and Injured to war as they were. were compelled
20 capitulate before a handful Of country folk.
This Is well known to America. our friend' our
ally. and perhaps our Providence. II is TO be
wished that she may be. Let us walt
In commenting on the price" OF the archi-
oelago, the same number computes that IL Is
50 head of the population, and adds; What
bargainl Cheap as dirt! But very often
cheap things come very high"
The reaction toward Spain is evident in the
same paper for December D.
What great pity that When spain teu We
were hindered from giving her the support or
our arms by the insult which she had just SPIT
In our faces 1t is unquestionabe that Spain,
falling from her high estate. has sought to
change her principle Of life; but in doing so she
has replaced her ideal the noble Quxote.
by the mercenary Sancho, forgetting that her
rdiscretion involved fatal consequences for the
Philippines. which she used to call her favorite
daughter Though her favorite, she has dlsn-
herited this daughter so FAR as liberty is con-
cerned. and sold her offspring for handful OF
gold.
A CAMPAIGN OF EDUCATION NEEDED.
It is clear that campaign Of education" is
needed to show the Filipinos how weak their
position really is Were the United States to
surrender the islands TO the natives. some Eu
ropean Power, probably Germany. would soon
swoop down upon them and, though war
among great Powers might ensue. the independ
ence OF the Philippines would surely disappear.
Even were the archipelago to be neutralized
by treaties among the great Powers the Islands
would be torn by dssensions. Some sixty dis
tinct languages spoken here, and there are
the liveliest enmties between the various tribes.
Out OF nine million people, not more than
quarter Of a million can read and write Span
Ish, the only language OF instruction practically
known to them. The only government which
they could set up would be an oligarchy. the
members of which would be for the most part
TagaloS 1nls race lorHiHs oniS aDou' siNth
OF the population. has most OF the education.
not on account of Its mental superiority. but
because II happens 70 occupy the region about
Manila The other races somewhat jealous
OF the Tagalos and dislike them as well on
grounds OF temperament.
The question OF peace or war depends 10 a
large extent on the character OF the Filiplnos.
and that fact introduces an absolutely uncertain
element Even the Spaniards declare II impossi-
BILE to understand the native character II is
difficult TO imagine that this is really true for
Il may be doubted whether the native brain has
yet developed To such an extent as 10 possess
convolutions peculiar to II. Many people have
tried to diagnose the Philippine mind. have