The age-herald., 1900-06-11
THE SITUATION IN
 THE PHILIPPINES
Civil Commission Confronted
 With Enormous Task.
DE TERMINEO TO SUCCEED
Beset With Many Callers Turing Their First Week in Manila-Some of the Problems They
 Must Solve

Manila, June 1O-Judge William H. Taft and his colleagues of the Philippine civil commission were beset during their first week in Manila by multitude of callers of all nationalities, professions and interests, who presented bewildering assertions rela- tive to military. The commissioners main tained the position of unprejudiced listen- CTS
 They admitted while they anticipated an enormous task, the complexity and diffi- culty of the problems and conditions are well nigh staggering. They are determined. however, with the cooperation of the army, in pacifying as well as in fighting, to make the Philippines a peaceful and honestly governed country. They find General Mac Arthur administering civil and military af- fairs in way that is universally popular. The Filipino party, embracing prominent insurrectionists, who accepted American rule through force of circumstances, is al- ready making overtures for the discussion of a scheme of permanent government, practically reviving the old proposition of | autonomy under an American protectorate. There are of course some Filipinos who believed that Judge Taft would bring the millenium in his vest pocket, and these re- fuse to be disappointed because sweeping changes are not made immediately. Judge Tafts utterances indicate a conciliatory policy towards the natives. He has con- ferred with the high army officers, some of whom strongly urge a larger army is neces- sary to suppress the insurrection, believing that civil government will be impossible until the rampant rebellion in the south ern district of Luzon, in the extreme northern provinces of the islands and in the Viscayas, except Negros, is crushed l How to Organize -t- a@ | One of the foremost questions in how and | from what material to organize a civil
 force with which gradually to suoercede | the army, as governing machine. Spains l auxiliary, the church. is necessarily bar l red from consideration. American experi- l ence with the natives discourages the hope | of honoest government through them until l a generation more has eradicated the results of Spain's tutelage A large propor- | tion of the provincial officials already in- stalled have proven treacherous, while the native police and officials here in Manila | are living on a scale of luxury suspieously | disproportionate to their salaries. Charges
 against native judges of failing to account
 for thousands of dollars received in fines
 are under investiga ton.
 | At the present, governmental alternatives | are the army on the one hand and anarchy | on the other. General Otis plan of nuni- | cipal governments is being inaugurated in | the principal towns of central Luzon and
 in parts of the Visayas, but the Filipinos | persist in thinking that the question | whether the United States will retain the | Philippines is still open, and some local | leaders ask that municipal elections be l postponed until after the presidential elec-
 ton.
 | Object to Oath of Allegiance
 Many people object to taking the oath Of
 allegiance to the United States govern
 ment which is the first question for voting
 for municipal candidates.
 The commissioners also find that the fu-
 ture state of the church in the Phillip
 pines is leading question in the minds
 of many although most of those who have
 talked with Judge Taft and his colleagues
 draw the inference that the commissioners
 are opposed to the reinstatement of the
 F'riars Archbishop Chappelle has taken a
 strong stand in supporting the request of
 the Friars to be established in their old
 position.
 As result of last weeks scouting more
 than POO Filipinos were killed and 16O cap
 tured, while 40 rifles with ammunition and
 stores were secured.
 | The American loss was nine killed, in-
 cluding a captain and lieutenant; two
 captains and twenty-one privates wound-
 ed, and one captain taken prisoner by the | EilinnOs