Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-14
THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES
HOW AMERICAN INFLUENCES ARE
WORKING IN THOSE ISLANDS.

In the Land of the Moros - Native
Chiefs Handled in . DipIo-
matte Way.
Zamboanga, Island OF Mindanao, Correspondence Of
Golfers Weekly.
When Major General Bates made his ia
nous treaty with the Sultan Of the Sulus
we supposed that the Moros Of Mindanac
recognized him as their religious head Oui
occupation Of Mindanao Is one OF the things
which has opened our eyes to the weakness
Of the sultan for exaggerating his author
ity in his representations to U.S. Mindanao
has at least one sultan Of its own. and we
have just heard Of another who lives in the
region of Lake Lanao. Either has less
power, less slaves and less property than
some Of the dattos (as the chiefs are call
ed), who are nominally his interiors. The
two most powerful dattos with which we
have hand any connection are Mandi at
Zamboanga and Piang at Cotobatto. Mandi
was recently made Ratah Mudi-that Is,
heir to the sultanate, or religious headship,
of Mindanao. The sultan himself. with
| train of followers in gayly bedecked praus,
came over from Zamboanga to confer the
honor in person. On the first day he went
to Brigadier General Kobbe governor gen.
era1 Of the department of Jolo and Mnda-
nao), followed by all his suite Nothing
passed except an elaborate exchange of
courtesies. On the second day he came
again to the general, accompanied by only
| few of his advisers and favorites. This
time .--e visitors were much more gayly
dressed than before. Again there was an
| elaborate exchange OF courtesies, including
a few perfunctory requests by the sultan,
which were freely granted. On the third
messenger to the general asking for spe-
cial interview, which was accorded. This
time the sultan came alone, in raiment
whose cooring was as brilliant as trop-
ical sunset, and wearing in the silken sash
around his waist the finest kris in his col
lecAon of weapons. At last he had come
to the meat in the cocoanut.
Datto Mandi of zamboanga.
In winding and high-fown phrases he ex-
planned that he was about to take advan-
tage Of the immemorial right of the Sultans
Of Mindanao to nominate the man who was
to succeed to his title upon his death.
Datto Mandi Of Zamboanga was his choice
and he had come to ask that General
Kobbe would give it the authority of Off
cial recognition in treaty form. General
kObbe, too good an administrator to COM
ply, made a reply which was quite salts
factory to the sultan.
That Is a matter" he said which con-
Germs you and not the American govern
ment and you must settle it among your
selves. l will say. however that nothing
could give me greater pleasure than the
bestowal of a great honor upon my good
friend, Datto Mandi."
Probably the sultan's selfish object In
nominating Mandi was dig in the ribs of
Piang. who happens to be the sultan's
neighbor and sometimes treats the sultan
very cavalierly. General Kobbe was simply
following the rule that we have laid down,
not to interfere at all in the quarrels of
the chiefs among themselves. AS soon as
we do we shall have a fight on our hands.
When DattO Mandi came to Major PERISH
ing, the adjutant (who was acting for the
general during the generals absence), say
ing that a netghboring datto had stolen
some Of his slaves and property, and asked
that American troops be sent to recover
them. the datto was readily made to &C
cept the view that we could no more in
terfere in this than In the local affairs of
his own town.
When Datto Piang asked Major Brett to
redress the same kind of a depreciation
Major Brett and company from the garrt-
son at Cotobatto accompanied Piang to re-
cover his property. The result was that the
major became mixed up in a fight between
the followers of the two dattos, and one
American soldier was killed and two wound
ed without recovering the property. In con-
sequence Major Brett has been recalled
from Cotobatto and Major McMann sent
in his place. A state of feud is always ex-
listing between the different dattos. Slaves,
more particularly, and cattle and ponies are
stolen by marauding bands led by the dat
to's leading men. Often the slaves, desiring
a change of master, are quite willing to go
to another datto.
Diplomacy In Handling MOros.
Many of our officers think that the wisest
policy for us to pursue is to assist all that
we can, without taking sides. in placing
the rule of Mindanao entirely In the hands
of four or five powerful dattos. whom we
can play off one against the other.
OF the friendship Of Datto Mandi we are
10 iS
than thirty-f1ve years of age. with the man
pers and dignity of 2 grandee Added to
fine physique which means great deal
among his people, he has the advantage
of having been educated in Spain. His in
formation was broad enough and he was
shrewd enough to see that the nation which
had overcome the arms OF Spain was bet
ter friend than an enemy. He ls the
only datto who has one wife and at all
sympathizes with western civilization. He
attended a ball which was given one even
ing in honor of the ladies who had made
the trip to the southern islands on the
transport Pennsylvania and next day he
visited the Pennsylvania. He drank wine
on either occasion, but would not partake
of our food. though one was as much
against the Mohammedan law as the other.
When Gen. Bates came to Zamboanga to
pay farewell visit to his old territory, be-
fore going to Manila to take permanent
command of the department Of southern
Luzon, Datto Mandi had bull fight and
horse race in the generals honor. He
used the occasion to make a most dramatic
speech. MY legs, my arms. my head and
my heart" he exclaimed, striking his
chest-"au are American
At another time he put his patriotism
upon more substantial grounds. DO you
think" he asked, that I would build my
town here upon the seashore. where
breath from the guns of your gerat ships
could destroy it, If my friendship were a
hollow pretension?" His town, which has
sprung up since our occupation. must num-
Der 5000 people. The larger it is the more
powerful he is. He takes as much pride
in every building that goes up as the pro-
moter Of a land company in each new fac
tory in a western town. part of 1t. Moro
fashion, is built over the water, permitting
the residents, who find most of their food
in the sea, to step from their doorsteps
into their canoes. By the shape OF his
head If not by his clothes, you can tell
the Moro from the Filipino.
swashbucklers of Southern Seas.
The happiness Of the male Moro Is bound
ed by a brilliant-colored turban, skin-tight
trousers of snowy pattern, tight jacket.
and either a barong or kris thrust
through the wound strip OF cloth which
constitutes his belt. In this he also carries
the little box containing the hetel-nut and
~l,a ct0vS klry