Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-12
YOUNG FILIPINOS
LEARN QUICKLY.
In a Few Months They Pick Up a
Fair knowledge Of English.
GEN. OTIS SUGGESTS A PLAN
says the Education Of Filipino chill
dren WIZ soon settle the Phll-
iypines QuestiOn.

washington, June i2.-During General
OTIS afternoon at the war department.
in conference with the heads Of me
various departments In regard to the
condition and needs of their depart
ments In the Philippines. he had many
question to answer ia his intercourse
with his friends, respecting present and
future conditions IN the Philippines.
and OF these he talked quite freely.
He made one statement IA particular
which came as a distinct surprise, In
view Of the fact that he has spent
year ana half In fighting the FIJI
pinos, for he declared that these same
Fiipinos were without question the
very best OF any of the Asiatic races
living ON the Pacific coast ana ISLANDS.
lie paid IA high tribute to their Ac-
quisitiyeness, saying that young ana
old were alike anxious 20 learn from the
Americans and quick TO DO so II given
an opportunity The demand iOr schools
on the Amentin plan was Unsuitable.
Ii had not been possible 20 secure a
sufficient supply Of Spanish-Amerlcah
text books, the market having Deen de-
nuded of such.
When the book-hungry Filipinos were
told this they begged for american
school books. and declared that their
children could learn from them even
without the Spanish text and transla-
lions General Otis found 10 MS as
constituent that such was the case, and
says that In the course OF d very Few
months. the Filipino children pick up a
fair knowledge Of English. Even lhe
old natives con the text books in The ei-
fort 10 Tx English phrases in their
minds There Yves a dearth Of teach
ers. too. General Otis often mad re-
course to the soldiers I'm his ranks who
know a little Spanish and so were
suitable for detail as teachers.
General Otis said he looked upon this
educational movement as the only solu-
ton OF the Philippine problem. and Was
confident that the spread NJ American
ideas through the Filipino schools
would IN The end make good citizens
Of the FillDinos.
General Otis was positively OF the
opinion that the American forces in the
Philippines at present were sun ieAt.
for am needs on course. ~. said Gem
eI0l MAtAlNNul llNNFAA az hNe N"N''N
not furnsH a guard 20 protect every
Filipino household from the ladrones
10 DO that would require a force Of no
less than 100000 troops, and even then
the task would occupy many years. As a
matter Of fact he said, Spain had spent
several centuries In the effort 10 stamp
out the ladrones in the Philippine
group and there was reason 10 believe
that those brigands are scarcely more
numerous now than they were during
the Spanish occupation. when the ISL
ands We're nominally at peace with
Spain.
General Otis was confident. however.
that conditions would steadily improve
and that little these robber bands
would be driven away. Meanwhile he
admitted that Il was often dangerous
for Fnpinos Of the better class whose
interests naturally lay IN American SOW
ereignty. to admit their preferences, for
they were subject In that ease 20 assas-
snation. 10 the loss Of property and 10
persecution. instigated by various ele-
ments In the population to whom Amer
lean occupation was obnoxious