Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-07
Officials of the Navy Department
Contradict Alarming Reports.
WHITES COULD NOT HAVE SUFFERED
Food is Plentiful and Natives Are
Very Lazy.
REPORT OF CAPT. HAVNER

statements relative TO the existence OF dis
tress among the white residents OF Guam
because of the lack Of provisions. As far
! as the natives are concerned, It is said at
the Navy Department that the island pro-
ouces an abundance of food upon which
they are used to exist. The reason for the
confidence that the white persons on the
Island, certainly very few outside the naval
contingent, could not have suffered for any
Iength OF time, is the fact that the governor
OF the Island has had large, swift steam
ship at all times lying In the harbor await
ing his orders, and with Manila less than q
week distant ii would have been easy to
nave secured supplies to meet any emer-
gency. Then, too, IL is said at the depart
mcnt, a number of vessels have touched al
the island of Guam during the last few
months; more, IN fact, than We're known
to have touched in as many wears of he
Spanish occupation.
The collier Brutus is there now. The Yo-
semitic Is the station ship and has never
left the island since landing Gov Leary
I he Nero has touched there. The Solacs
has stopped coming and going on every
trip between San Francisco and Manila
and the Nanshan, a supply ship was
only recently at the island. The Relief and
some OF the warships have touched there
while the Newark is almost due there from
Honolulu.
Capabilities of Guam.
1t is quite true. according to the Navy
department ofhclals, that Europeans and
Americans living in Guam must be provi-
dent in the matter Of supplying them
selves with food If they are iudisposed to
accept the native diet and wish to cling
to their old standards of living This is
not only because the climatic conditions do
not favor the growth OF American food sta
pies, but because of the fatal Incidence of
the natives.
A great deal of light on the character
istics of the people and the resources of
the Island is thrown by the following re-
port which was made to the State Depart
ment by Benz HaVner, master of the
American schooner Bessie L. Stevens.
which stopped at Guam last April on her
way from Honolulu to Japan:
My chief purpose being to investigate
the Island and It's near nelghbOrs in the in
terestS OF American business men, | spent
nearly three months looking into the capa-
olllties OF Guam. l was honored on several
exploration trips by the company Of Capt
Stowell of the United States transport Nan
shan, who took a lively interest in the ISL
and, and who will, l think, indorse most
OF the opinions herein expressed
Guam is about thirty miles long and ten
miles in breadth at the widest part rough
ly speaking, and | should say that about
three-eighths could be put under cultiva-
ton.
AT the present time there is not more
imam 10 per cent Of the productive soil in
use. The natives, numbering about s.000,
are the most indolent of any class / have
ever seen after some years experience on
this coast. Cocoanuts, bread fruit vans,
bananas, coffee, cocoa, tapioca, rice pea
nuts, sweet potatoes, pineappies melons
egg plant, etc, grow almost wild which
probably is one Of the reasons the natives
work so little, and another may perhaps be
because OF their almost total isolation from
me rest OF the world and the consequent
lack or incentive to activity. Sugar is culti-
Nated sufhciently TO supply the local de-
Inahd, Hogs and cattle thrive upon the
Island and deer are quite plentiful
M a
Il doubt if any advancement can ever be
made with native labor. The Chamaroos
VIII positively not work for money. 1 be-
lieve, however, with Chinese. who can en-
dure the climate and are willing to work
for low wages, this extremely fertile island
can be made most valuable one consider
ing its size.
THE financial condition of Guam is not
so bad as might be supposed, although the
wealth Of the island is confined to a very
lew. 1t seems that the Spanish govern
ment has been quite liberal in its appro-
priations for public buildings and so forth
But no particular evidence of this is dis
cernible, except among the descendants OF
the old Spanish families who made tools
ana slaves of the natives. There are some
OF these families on the Island who are
worth from $4,000 to $4,000 Mexican.
Ihefe Is little gold and no paper money on
lne island. The money used is principally
Mexican, considerable Chilean and a few
Spanish pesos. The pesos and Mexican are
worth there 80 cents apiece, and the Chill
can 81 cents United States coin The
small transactions with the natives are
mostly done by means Of ancient, dflapi-
dated coppers about the size of American
quarters The value in Guam of this stun
Is 1oO TO the Mexican dollar, and il is no
joke when a Chamoroo comes up TO Won
with bullock cart carrying half a barrel
OF this 'sheathing metal to pay SD
The local officials, selected by the adj
miral in charge Of the American squadron
which captured Guam are all natives. and.
though the United States flag floats over
the island, there is practically no govern
ment-
No Doctors on the Island.
when the Spaniards evacuated they
tcck all the professional men with them.
and the inmates OF the hospital were
turned loose, no one being supplied to take
the place of the departing Spaniards
Among the inmates were several Iepers and
many suffering from horrible sexual dis
eases.
During the months of June and July
the natives suffer from disease which af-
fects the head, and great many die each
season. There was no person on the island
the least acquainted with the practice of
medicine and no medicine there of any kind
when / left. The condition was very Sc
rious for the few white families living In
Guam.
"A beef creature is also used as a beast
of burden, is cut down in the dirt any
where, and frequently in the broiling sun
without DelnS bled- Then the meat is cut
off the bones in strips and chunks. regard
less of quality, thrown into a heap the
ground, where ii remains until sold. The
milk used in Guam is taken from cows
sucking calves, as this is supposed by the
Chamocros to be the only time the Great
ure will give down her milk. For the sake
of the future health and population, medi-
cal skill and medicine should be promptly
dispatched there.
THE governor and his staff had been ex-
pected daily for months at the time Of my
departure, so that serious matters pertain
ing to the advancement Of the island are
and have been practically in statu quo.
The Land Question.
1.-THE land question in Guam is something
which badly needs the prompt action of
qualified officials. I state this because the
methods used by some persons to obtain
real estate appear to me to be decidedly
questionable. One case in mind is that
where a certain individual passed HIM
self off the American governor on
the ignorant and unsuspecting natives and
thereby obtained possession of several
ranches for almost nothing. There being
no government at Guam. there is no one
there to hinder the preparation OF such
outrages.
Since the evacuation of Guam by the
Spaniards mail and all other regular COM