Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-19
OUR RIGHTS IN THE SULUS
They Are Described by Ez-consul General
\ Prsst.
He Questions Their value Under the
Existing rADar,''e Agreement
With Englsnd and Germany.

According to Mr.. E. Spencer Pratt, late
consul general at Singapore. the treaty re-
Gently concluded with, the Sultan of Sulu
by General Bates of the United States
army will not give the United States sole
jurisdiction over the Sulu Islands, under
pre-existing convention Great Britain and
Germany have equal trading rights in the
Islands. In recent statement on the SUBJ
tect Mr.. Pratt said:
This chain of islands, stretching be-
tween the Philippines and Borneo, is apt
to precipitate all manner of international
complications at any time. 1t may not be
generally known in this country that our
claim to the Sulu Islands is very limited
that We must stand for all trouble there
and yet have no exclusive trading rights in
the archipelago.
"A protocol signed at Madrid in 1877 be-
tween Spain, Germany and England estab-
iished free trade in those waters, the Span
ism government, which exercised nominal
suZerainty over the Sulu Islands, relin-
gushing all claim to exclusive trade.
This protocol, so far as is apparent upon
the race of the peace treaty at Paris, by
which the Sulu Islands were ceded to US,
mas not been abrogated. Presumptiveiy,
we have simply taken SPANS part in the
trlpartite agreement which granted free
trade TO all nations in those waters, CIV
ing the trading ships of the various coun-
trles perfect right to go from port to
port. Where, then, are the advantages to
this country? We are apt to have trouble
with this nalf-civilized people any day. So
numerous are the islands that 1t would re-
qu1re many garrisons to protect them. IN
less we command the trade of the ports,
where can possibly be any advantage in
owning them and garrisoning them at such
heavy eXpenSe?'
The Spaniards could not compel a trad
ing vessel to pursue any particular pre-
scribed course or conflne herself to trad
ing between special points, and, further
+l,N
points she SPAIN occupied These points
were essentially few in number.
Always Ripe for Trouble.
THE various chiefs of the Suus are al
ways watching for chance to dethrone the
sultan. A row is apt to be precipitated at
moments notice, and under the pending
treaty the sultan looks to the United States
to protect him and uphold his right to rule.
An uprising in the Sulu Islands would be
but the beginning of amending trouble, for
1t would spread to Borneo beyond doubt,
because the Sulu people originally sprang
from there. and for long time claimed
part interest in the government Of Borneo.
rms sultanate comprises. or Is under
stood to comprise, some 40 odd islands
lying between Mindanao, the southernmost
island of the Philippines, and the coast of
British North Borneo The most important
of the group is Sulu Island proper.
They are inhabited by warlike race of
Malays, who in early times were converted
to Mohammedanism by the Arabs. The
population is estimated at about 10000,
including 10000 or more fighting men.
They have always been a difficult peo-
pie to rule, and at the time Of the recent
Spanish evacuation there was uprising
which threatened to overthrow the present
sultan before the Americans could arrive,
and which, had it succeeded, would have
left US to deal with q condition of civil
war throughout the archipelago-a condi-
ton We may yet-have to face unless we are
very careful