Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-03
Actual Conditions in the Philippines.

| give d IOuSIIltS AA~~So'~S'
Actual Conditions in the Philippines.
No man in this country is better
fitted to speak of the conditions exist
ing in the Philippines than Professor
S. A. Knapp of the United States
agricultural department, who has just
returned from the far East. Professor
Knapp was sent out to inspect and re-
port upon the seed and plant resources
Of the Orient, and the opportunities for
introducing our agriculture there. In
the pursuance of this work he had ex-
ceptional opportunities for comforting
with leading officials and citizens in
China and Japan He also had a
specially fine chance for studying ex-
listing conditions in the Philippines.
Naturally the conclusions reached by
so intelligent an observer are entitled
to exceptional weight. Professor
Knapp states that while he was at
Manila insurgent plans were then I'M
der way for looting the city. reports
coming in daily that the Filipinos were
about to attack it. He says the gen.
eral sentiment, both at Manila and
Hong Kong, is that AguinaldO, whom
Senator Hoar compares to George
Washington and Senator Mason to La
fayette, is much-overestimate
leader; that he is not of the highest
order of even the Filipinos, and that
he would sell out his cause for any
satisfactory price.
In the best circles of Manila, Professor
Knapp says, it is held that AguinaldO
would be easy to deal with but for the
fact that his party had a firm hold on
him, and that he could not get away
from it's influence. Aguinaldo, he
added. is not credited even with the
ability of framing the manifestoes he
issues, and Professor Knapp says it is
openly known that they are written by
u clever Filipino lawyer. who. until
recently, lived in Manila.
"The great masses of the islanders"
Professor Knapp explained, ARE very
ignorant. and the very few who are
intelligent have been thoroughly
trained by the several hundred years
of Spanish regime. and are adopts at
falsehood. The Filipinos at Manila
told me that had the United States
gone ahead at once on taking the city,
there would have been little trouble.
but that the people interpreted the alb
sence of vigorous action to mean that
the United States was afraid of them
THE natives have been held under
severe repression for SO many years
that they need strong lesson, and
then they will begin to understand the
situation. Until then any conciliatory
offer would be regarded by them as an
act of cowardice on our part, accord
ing to the understanding there. The
Spanish soldiers are very friendly and
have warned our people that the ma
tives cannot be trusted over night, and
that they would assassinate the
Americans at the first opportunity"
An interesting feature of Professor
Knapp's observations has to deal with
the actual population of the Philip
pines. AS has already been ascer-
tanned very little dependence can be
placed upon the statements of the ma
tives. A love Of exaggeration appears
| to be one of their besetting sins. AS
| is well-known no actual census has
ever been taken. and all statements
upon the subject are purely matter
of estimate. The figures usually given
out are 100000 but Professor Knapp
says that the Dominica Fathers, than
whom none could possibly have had
posted upon the subject. declare that
1900, 900 would be large estimate Of
population. The settled islands are
not as densely populated as New York
| state, and twO-thirds of the area are
| government lands.
Discussing his mission Professor
Knapp said that as to the Chinese
trade. the only question is whether we
want our share of it, as leading
Chinese officials admitted to him that
reform is impossible and foreign pro-
tectorate inevitable, and added that
opportunities for introducing American
flour, butter. and cheese will be good