The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1900-01-05
TROUBLE AHEAD H SILUS.
Uncle sam Has Secured ssnsthingEot Wsrfl
shsTsHng. Ez-oonsal Pratt Declares
The United States, in Acquiring the suIu
Islands, Has Picked Up = VerItabls
Hornets Eest-lEust Uphold the
suItanato at Heavy Cost

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT E. Spencer Pratt,
who vas stationed at Singapore, with
consular jurisdiction over the Straits
Settlements, until last June, declared
TO a representative Of the New York
World that the United States in ac-
curing the Sulu Sultanate, picked up
a veFitabIe hornets nest. Mr. Pratt
to the Worlds reporter said:
s'This chain Of islands, stretching
between the Philippines and BorneO,
is apt to precipitste all manner Of
international complications at any
time. It may not be generally known
in this country that our claim to the
Sulu islands is very Iimited-that We
must stand for all trouble there and
yet have no exclusive trading rights
in the archipelago. A protocol signed
at Madrid in 1877 between Spain, Ger
many and England established free
trade in those waters, the Spanish
government, which exercised nom
inal sovereignty over the Sulu islands,
relinquishing all claim to exclusive
trade.
"This protocol, so far as is apparent
upon the face of the peace treaty at
Paris, by which the Sulu islands we're
coded to Us, has not been abrogsted.
Presumptively We have simply taken
SPANS part in the tripartite agree
ment, which granted free trade TO all
nations in those wat ers, giving to the
trading ships Of the various countries
q perfect right to go from port to port.
Where, then, are the advantages Of
this country? We are apt to have
trouble with this haIf-civiIized people
any day. So numerous are the islands
it would require many garrisons to
protect them Unless we command
the trade of the ports where can pos
sibly be any advantage in owning them
at such heavy expense?"
Mr.. Pratt was cOnsUl-general at Sin
gspore at the time the Sulu islands
fell into our possession. Just before
leaving his post last June, British
merchant trading ship, navigating the
Sulu waters, was held up by an Amer
lean cruiser and made to change her
course. A protest was served by the
owners and Consul-GeneraI Pratt's at
tentlon was called to the protocol
signed at Madrid in 1877 by Spain,
England and Germany, in which Spain
relinquished exclusive control Of COM
merce in those waters.
In 81 Il T.
Pratt, "the Spaniards could not COM
pei vessel so trading to pursue any
particular prescribed course OF to con-
fine herself to trading between special
points, and, furthermore, could not
levy d1es except at points she SPAIN
occupied. These points were essen
tally few in number.
"The various chiefs Of the Sulus are
always watching for a chance to de-
throne the sultan. A row is apt to
be preeipitated at any moment and the
sultan looks to the United States to
protect him and uphold his right to
rule. An uprising in the Sulu islands
would be but the beginning Of unend-
ing trouble, for it would spread to Bor-
neo beyond doubt, because the Sulu
people originally sprang from there
and for long time claimed part inter
est in the government of Borneo.
''This sultanate comprises, or is IN
derstOOd to comprise, some 40 odd
islands, lying between MindanaO, the
southern-most of the Philippines, and
the coast of British North Borneo.
The most important Of the group is
Sulu island proper.
'They are inhabited by a wsrlike
race Of Mslays who in early times were
converted to MOhammedanism by the
Arabs. The population is estimated at
about 10000, including 10000 or more
fighting men
''They have always been a difficult
people to rule, and at the time OF the
recent Spanish evacuation there was
an uprising which threatened to over
throw the present sultan before the
Americans could arrive, and which,
had it succeeded, would HAYS left Us to
deal with a condition Of civil Wsr-a
condition we may yet have to face IN
less We are very careful"
CARRY THE MOST PASSENGERS. 1