The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-05

to real estate In the Philippines, whether
claimed by ecclesiastics or laymen, will
have, believe, to be very thoroughly
and exhaustively examined and studied,
and this will be no quick and easy
task. do not believe that there will
be confiscation by the government Of
any property held by the monastic
orders or by anybody to which record
title Is perfect. So far as the return Of
the friars Is concerned, the matter
would seem to be really in the hands
of the Filipino Catholics themselves.
The friars are now practically expelled,
and unless the Filipinos, undergoing "a
change of sentiment. assent to their re-
turn it would seem that the Roman
Catholic church in its own interest as
we'll as for the welfare Of the Filipinos
would see to 1t that the church's recog-
nizeu representatives in the islands
were not violently distasteful to the
people whom they seek to guide"
Mr.. Noyes prefaces his remarkably
interesting letter with an appreciation
of General Otis which credits him with
world. We quote it as a fair offset to
the criticism which Otis has received:
The duties and responsibilities which
burden the commanding officer Of the
American army in the Philippines and
the military governor Of the islands are
almost crushing In their weight. Military
operations here involve the direction OF
force of 65O0O men, so scattered as to
rnin 70 n "a al
of the Philippines and confronted by
varying conditions in the different ISL
ands. When distances and difficulties of
transportation and numbers of men
equipped and moved are considered this
expedition ranks among the most notable
In military history. Civil administration
as governor involves the task of creating
n sound and wholesome system adapted
to existing conditions and of gradually
substituting 1t for that against which
the people have Ievolted, and, In the In
terval in order that anarchy may not
exist, of enforcing with absolutely essen
tial notifications the old Spanish laws
and customs The combined general and
governor has been beset at one time or
| another, simultaneously or in succession.
not only by the Insurgents. but by our
own impetuous volunteers. who under
the impression that the war was over
and ar xious to get hcme developed (un-
til the situation was made clear to them)
the possibility that the republic might
be left without an army at the time
when one was most needed. Uncle Sam,
has performed the difficult manoeuver of
swapping war horses midstream. The
governor was beset also by the strong
| foreign mercantile firms In Manila, who
| resented the limitations upon their trade
| necessarily imposed by the war. He was
| pulled this way and that by persons with
| axes to grind and Jobs to develop. He
| had to Greats judicial system and to
| assume some Of the functions of law.
giver. compelled to enforce the confused
| Spanish laws while striving to codify,
correct and revise them in gradual prep
| aration for the substitution of a modern
| and American system. He had to become
| the tax gatherer Of an empire, sitting al
| the receipt Of custom, enforcing Spanish
| internal revenue and customs laws and
studying them carefully in order thai
| through judicious notifications q reason
| able and honestly administered system
might be evolved. He had to create Local
civil government and an educational sys'
| TEN, with hardly an atom of foundation
| upon which to build. Too often the labor
| set by the Egyptian of making bricks
without straw was imposed upon him
General Otis has attacked the task sci
| for him conscientiously. self-sacrificingly
and with a tremendous capacity for hart
work. A fourteen hours day. INSTEAD
| Of one under the eight hours law. repre-
sents his period of labor. weak mar
would have been completely overwhelmed
| with the multifarious duties imposed upor
him in conducting an active militar,
campaign in the tropics and in caring
for great army Of men in part unaccus,
toned to war and confronted by new ant
strange conditions. and I'm serving at thu
same time virtually and temporarily R'
president. congress and Supreme court II
| relation to millions of Asiatics.
It Is doubtful If any of Otis critics
could have done so WE'LL