The evening times., 1899-01-20
BUSINESS TACT IN
THE PHILIPPINES
Natives Must Be Taught We
Are Masters.
Best Of American Talent Needed TO
Solve the Problem.
Views of POuItney BigeIow. Who
Has just Returned From
the Islands.

London, Jan. 20.-Mr. PoultDey Bigelow,
the well-known writer and traveller. who
has but recently returned from the Phil
ippines, was seen at his home in Chelsea
yesterday by correspondent desirous OF
obtaining his opinion upon the condition
Of affairs in that far Eastern archipelago.
Mr.. Bigelow's attention was particularly
drawn to the special cable dispatches from
Manila and Hongkong., and he was asked
to give his views on the situation based
upon his own personal experience.
1t will be remembered that these dis
patches not only described the state of un-
rest existing in the islands, but said that
the longer the United States put off deter
mining upon a settled policy the more cha
otic affairs there would become.
As between the three solutions advanced
by the Rev. Clay Maccadley, professor of
theology in the Toxic University. in the
cable dispatch from Hongkong, namely,
annexation by force of purchase, the Gre
alton OF Philippine republic or autonomy
under an American protectorate. Mr.. Big
Glow was very emphatic in saying that the
United States must show to the inhabi-
tants that they are masters.
Mr.. Bigelow made the following state
hent:
We Americans have succeeded as colo
nists because We started as Eagiishmen
about 2JD years ago, and If after that lapse
OF time we confess to the world that
cannot do little more roloa'zi1g /. is
time We held an Inquiry into the cause Of
our degeneIacy.
You ask me about our future manage
ment of the Philippines and in answering
/ will ff-s, traa r..
jIngo, although d. education and taste
am a Free Trade democrat. l believe in
holding The Philippines, while conscious
that we are repeating blndeT upon hun
der and will probably have q disastrous
experience with the natives before we
| learn to live in peace with the subject
races
Colonial government is a business. and
the best business men are none too good
for the job. England has learned TO send
her best business talent to the admins
tration of her colonies and she succeeds
We have sent to conquer and admins
ter the Philippines men with no business
capacity, men who do not command the
respect of average Americans at home
men who would make a failure of any
commercial enterprise aid who cannot
| without miraculous intervention succeed
in making the American name respected in
| the Far East.
The volunteers who are attempting to
| pacify the colony are splendid individual
| men, but the staff officers are not cnmpe-
tent soldiers and in most cases owe their
positions exclusively to political influence
IF military success is to follow such
| leadership then we had better abo ish
West Point and recruit our officers from
| Tammany Hall and kindred political
| schools.
THE Filipino Is neither negro nor saw
| age, but a man of acute Oriental psrcep-
! tions, quick to recognize justice and Iow-
| er. He would welcome the British flag,
| because propinquity to Hongkong has
| taught him that British administration
means local self government and liberty.
| He is suspicious of American rule, be-
| cause so far he has seen no evidence that
the Stars and Stripes represent either
| good administration or the local independ-
| ence he has a right to expect
He sees in our volunteers little more
! than stalwart day laborers, who have
| come with rather indefinite military or
| political aims, and what he has seen OF
| our officers and officials has not inspired
| him with any desire to surrender what
| little military advantage he possesses.
This is humiliating confession for an
| American to make, but we can expect no
| improvement until this is taken to heart
mo relation with the Philippines can
| be successful unless it means good Amer
| lean administration. We must guarantee
the building of roads, railways and tele-
graph lines, the dredging of the rivers
and harbors and in every other way de-
| velop the material resources of that
country, as England does those of India
| The Filipinos cannot do this. They have
neither money nor organizing capacity
and as fast as we do this we shall COM
mand their respect and allegiance. for
| there is no missionary in the Far East
| comparable to the locomotive or the steam
| dredger
"The Philippines are enormously rich
and practically a wilderness. The So
called rebel leaders represent but a very
small fringe of artificial civilization on
the edges of a vast wilderness of natives
to whom the Spaniards, Americans. and
Aguinaldo's followers are matters of equal
! indifference. The strength of the rebels
is considerable, but it is as nothing COM
pared to the millions of natives who are
to be the future wage earners of that rich
| colony.
There are two measures / consider OF
| vital and immediate Importance. The first
| is that Manila be declared a free port in
| the fullest sense of the term, as for in
| stance, Hongkong and Singapore. Sec
ond. the Chinese should be encouraged to
! settle, for they are most excellent ele-
ments in the development of every Eastern
| colony. To neglect them is to accept q
heavy handicap"