The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-06-12
TRUTH ABOUT PHILIPPINES

TRUTH ABOUT PHILIPPINES.
Adjutant-Gen. Corbin has received a
letter from Gen. Theo. Schwan u S.
", in which he gives the result of OBJ
servatiOn of the situation in the Philip
pines, not only from headquarters, but
from close personal observation in four
provinces which have been consistently
hostile to Spanish and American rule.
In this letter, dated ~. S. Army Trans
port Thomas, at sea, May -, 19OO."
Gen Schwan says:
Brigandage prevailed to a greater
or less extent in the p 1. from time
immemorial. In Spanish times no sus-
tanned or bona fide efforts were made
Tor ITS suppression. During that period
Oh the Tagalog rebellion US9e-'9S).
when, owing to the voluntary with
drawal of Aguinaldo and other leaders
to Hongkong, hostilities were generally
suspended, the remnants of the insur
gents or those whom the leaders could
not control Joined the 'ever-existent'
robber bands, who in consequence were
enabled to carry on a guerrilla warfare
against minor bodies of Spanish troons
IN addition to plying their vocation of
Piundering peaceable inhabitants.
ne robDer system, pure and simple
was Kept up while organized insurrec-
ton against the United States was car
ried on; though at first it received no
couhtenance from the insurgent lead
ers. VINO even made occasional at
tempts to break it up. With the dis
ruption of the insurgent government
ana the dispersion of the insurgent ar
mics, robber bands have been ALI over
the islands extensively re-enforcad nv,
ihsurgent officers and soldiers who on
returning to their homes, were disin-
ciiieo 10 resume honest work and sti,I
lung 10 the Idea of Filipino republic
EAciuulnS the savage mountain
'iipes, ana those directly connected
Win the bands above mentioned =.
comparatively small but constan+,r
varying quantity, the Filipinos MO-, =
roughly divided into two classa. -.
the intelligent educated (also as -.
the propertyowning) class nh, -
a smaH minority. and the unednc.taa
iaooring or peasant class const,t,,.,-,'
'he great mass Of the peon,e ~.
men OF both classes honesty, aa., =,
restoration of peace ara Tue
ira, .,l .o'h OF any other kind Of rule he
tbo ousniy weary of war. Those of
g. iier class for the most part nre-
icah rule, believing that
81, - iii'o IL Will be firm and above
ana because they have no
faith in the fitness of the Filipinos as a
people to govern themselves They are.
however, afraid to cast in their lot un-
reservedly with the Americans, fearful
that the anticipated withdrawal of Am
erican troops may expose them to
severe treatment at the hands of the
insurgent leaders. who, with even
small following, seem to be able to ter
rorize the people, and in the past have
shown vindictiveness and cruelty al
most beyond parallel. Hence, while
yielding a passive obedience to, or at
least refraining from positively hostile
acts against the military (American)
occupants, some of them keep up rela-
lions with and contribute to the needs
Of the guerrilla bands In their neigh
borhood, promiscuously made up of
robbers and ex-insurgents Many men
of the lower class, while preferring a
quiet humdrum life to the hardships
and dangers of highwaymen and bush
suasion or threats of the brigand chiefs,
and join or quit the brigand service ac-
cording to circumstances
Those who actively or openly seek
to maintain brigandage as a nucleus
or rallying point for future rebellion
are the military and political leaders
Oh the late organized Instruction, of
whom all but few are utterly unscru
pulous and actuated by purely selfish
motives. These men realize that should
the insurgent movement die out en-
urely, and American rule be firmly es
tablished, they will forfeit forever posf-
tons or influence and prominence and
Will be relegated to their former OBJ
security and penury in private station.
In the main they rest their hope for q
revival of the insurrection and the re-
concentration Of insurgent forces upon
% the supposed necessity American
troops will be under of abandoning
many of their present positions owing
to the impossibility of supplying the
latter during the wet season; and 10Y
upon the success of the Democratic
or anti-expansion party in the coming
presidential campaign in the United
States. Their ability to hold the guer-
rilla bands together, and to retain
moral control over a considerable pro-
portion of the common people, is due
largely to the astounding ignorance and
credulity of the latter
My conviction that the instruction
cannot recover from the collapse it has
suffered Is founded on the following
consideration:
The principal islands are now as
never before held with an iron grip by
the military. AS has been already
pointed out, in Luzon, whence any re-
oeilion must always derive it's life
oiood, all interior as well as coast
towns Oh Importance, are occupied by
united states troops, whose scouting
parties penetrate into the most seclud
ed recesses within their Jurisdictions
which latter are clearly defined. These