Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-30
In THE PHILIPPINES
Gen Joe Wheeler's Impressions Of
What He Has Seen.
CHARACTER OF TEE INSURGENF ARMY
Almost No Limit to the Resources
Of the Islands
SO 1DIERS AND n AT1V ES
CHARACTER OF TEE INOURGENF ARMY
so IDIERS AND NATIVES


Written for The Evening Star
Gen. Joseph Wheeler writes this article
from his headquarters at Santa Rita:
SANTA RITA, Philippine Islands.
November, 1899
have now seen much of the country and
the people n that part of Luzon for about
fifty miles north of Manila. In every town
there is a magnificent stone church and a
convent or monastery. The insurgents have
a great antipathy to the priesthood or
friars. and they have dismantIed many of
the churches. The value Of the church and
monastery Of town seems to be equal in
many cases to the value OF all the other
buildings in the town.
The sugar storehouses are also expen-
sively constructed buildings. They have
very thick stone walls and either tile or
metal roofs. and cover considerable space
of ground; some of them have dimensions
Of about ~ or 10 feet by 100 feet.
The church here at Santa Rita is the only
one ! have seen outside of Manila where
services are regularly held.
The more ] talk to people the more / am
convinced that the insurgents are actuaJed
In a measure by spirit of communism
and in their talks their most seri us OBJ
lection 10 tie church seems to be the fact
that the ecclesiastical organizations own so
much of the property and one of Agut-
naldO's most earnest demands is that the
church property be ConfisC ated.
There is a general impression that the in
surgeut army is made up very largely of
people without property, and that people
who have property desire the Americans
to control so that they can have protection
and feel that their property is secured to
them, but / find that there Is also fear
apprehension among some of the
wealthy that if the Americans control AMI
give universal suffrage the power of the
wealthy people would be taken away and
their hold on property very much impaired
! think that II the wealthy people could be
assured that they would be protected in
their property rights by the United States
1t would have a very good erect.
Priests and Friars.
The friars and priests are charged with
all sorts Of expressions and misdemeanors.
but it must be remembered that friars and
priests are very numerous and in SO large
q body there will be found every possible
phase Of character and disposition. Some
of them are no doubt opplessors of the
people, exactiug in the collection of rentals
from the land. indulge themselves in many
ways. and lead lives very different from
what should characterize the life OF a
priest But there are Very many good men
among them. AIEuy Of them have received
good eGuCa1lp1s in their youth and. beng
without families and having ample time,
they have pursued scientific and other
studies and hA.e done a great deal toward
the education Of the people.
The religious ORDERS are very rich They
three centuries. 1t was the custom OF or
gRnizatioHs and individuals to acquire prop
eTty by settlement and occupation, and
title thus acquired is recognized as valid
even with no paper title whatever. The
religious orders have acquired vast prop
critics In this way, and While il Is suppose i
that the proceeds and III" income is to be
used for religious and charitable purpOS IS,
there IL doubt that much has been used
for their personal comfort and benefit.
Much IIIIteracy.
The statement l have seen that 20 par
cent Of the people of Luzon can read and
write is 4 great mistake. 1t may be true
OF Manila, but IL is not true OF the rural
districts. and the percentage of illiteracy
IN the other Islands is much greater than
in Luzon. The appearance, mode of life
and method Of performing work Is today
very much like that described in the Bible
of the beginning of the Christian era.
The people dress very much they did
two thousand years ego. the means Of
transportation 10y carts Drawn by caraboas
Is about the same. and their methods of
6EeIing and Cleaning rice Is as primitive as
possible and no be tier than they were two
thousand years ago During the last few
years sugar mills and rice mills have been
erected IN some OF the large cities and this
has especially been the case since the build
Ing Of the Manila and Dagupan railrdad
but in the smaller cities and towns rice IS
husked by pounding by hand. and is win
Ing the chaff. just it was done in the
earliest times.
Products of the New Islands
Nearly everything can be grown but or
anges and bananas are not as good as in
other localities, the reason no doubt beina,
that they seem 10 give them no cultivation
whatever. II they were cultivated | be-
neve they would be as fine as the products
Of any other country.
Tobacco Is grown in the valley of Caga-
yam. in the northeastern part of Luzon.
which is said to be equal TO any tobacco
In the world. The coffee grown is said to
be superior to Mocha
Rice is the principal product. and a fail
ure OF that crop Will cause a terrible fam
Inc. as the people depend almost entirely
upon 1t for food Sugar is the principal
crop Tor export The greatest amount ex-
ported in any one year was 261 6SI tons
which was in 1898.
Corn grows very rapidly and the ears
reach their full growth about sixty days
from the time of planting. The provinces
which are especially spoken of as produc-
i've OF corn or maize are Viscaya Isabella
SOuth CaIuarilsa. PamDapRa