The Portland daily press., 1900-05-17
Hint That Military is Jealous Of
Civil Commission.
One Filipino Paper Had
to Suspend.
Mindana0 Proves a Most Valu'
able Possession.

tCoftesponoenoe OF tne AB3ookateo FFes1s
Manila. April l2.-Ths Manila editors
and the oorrs spondents Of American
newspapers here are hopisg that the ar
rival or the civil commission will result
In 9 reform OF the present censorship
m ,thods. CabIegrans announcing the
sppointmsnt OF ths commission were re-
csived BY two Of the Manila newspapers.
but the censor forbade them 10 print
this news. He asssrtsd that hs supprsssss
only that news "inimioal h. the inter.
ests Of the military government.
Frequent friction Aross betwesn the
correspopdspts and the previous censor
while the Sohurman oommission was
here over messages rsistipg 10 the oem.
mission and there was come times mu Oh
trouble In getting through news which
the oommission bad givss out for pm b
licstion.
The editors Of the local newspapers
complain bitterly and upanimously that
the censorship % IL 10 managed. infiicts
upon them wholly needless hardships
and great financial less The only FIJI
pino paper which supported the A meri-
oan adninistration has suspended publi-
cation ON account OF the censorship. The
Americans srs Just bssinning to realize
that In the island Of Mindanao, until re-
gently merely big blot ON the map, they
have wonderful empire. potentially the
most valuable Of all the Philippine pos
sessions. Although nearly - large - the
island Of Luzon, with much bsttsr oil.
mate and capable Of being made second
Cuba In oommsrcial value, the Spaniards
never really oontrollsa nor even explored
it, with two Fssimsnts, tie 3ist, which
he recently distributed among the towns
ON the southern and eastern coast and
the 4oth, which he has just sstablisbsd
in the north, Gen. Bates acquired for the
Unitsd States - much territory ~ Spain
held, aud what spain could never get,
the friendship Of all the tribes which
the Americans have encountered, tam
pered with wholesome fear. Indeed, ex-
perisnce with the Moros ct Mindanso
has convinced many officers that the
treaty with the Sultan Of Sulu was
mistake in that IL conferred upon that
picturesque person . fictitious appraisal
Of his Importance which may be predue-
tive Of more trouble thar display OF the
mailed list would have bssn. They do
not think the Aoros suoh tsEribls walri-
ors against modsrn weapons ~ they havs
been pictured.
The American officers are oonvinoed
that the cheapest way to deal with the
Aoros who are at heart savagss Of the
most blood thirsty character, viii bs 70
show them no mercy when onos they be-
come hostile. aven II some innocent lives
have to be sacrificed Tor the general
good. Most Of the officers IN the Moro
country with whom the ooffsspondsnt OF
the Associated Press talked, ARE convinced
that some sort Of conflict with the Moros
WILL in time, be insvitatls. 10 avoid
1t will require almost impossible dipio-
macy. Many Of them think that the
Moro destiny is extsrmination like the
American Indian.
Another possibility Of danger lies In the
temper Of portion Of the soldiers. "Our
officers are trying to get along with these
people without q fight" ssid one Of this
class. I'VE Doys want . SCRAP; that 10
what we enlisted for. We crowd these
psopjs all We can when We get . ohanos
and We are bound to ges them stirred mp
some time"