The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-17
Island Of MindanaO Found to Be
More important Than LuzOn.
NEGLECTED BY sPANIARDs
And Never Explored BY Them. Il Turns Out
to Be a Wonderful Empire, Capable Oi
Being Made Second Cuba--com.
plants Of the Censor.

MANILA, April 2.-(Correspondenc
Of the Associated Pressl-The Manila
editors and the correspondents OF
American newspapers here are hoping
that the arrival Of the civil commission
viii result In reform OF the present
censorship methods. cablegrams an
nouncing the appointment Of the COM
mission were received by two Of the
newspapers but the censor forbade
them to print this news. He has as
serted that he suppresses only that
news 'immical to the interests OF the
military government"
Frequent friction arose between the
correspondents and the previous censor
while the Schurmann commission was
here over messages relating to the COM
mission and there was some times
much trouble in getting through news
which the commission had given out
for publication.
The editors Of the local papers COM
plain bitterly and unanimously that the
censorship. as it is managed. infiicts
upon them wholly needless hardships
and great financial loss. The only FL
ipino paper which supported the Amer
ican administration has suspended pub
lication on account Of the censorship
and the editor OF the oldest and most
respectable and friendly Spanish journ-
al announces that he intends to close
his business and leave Manila because
II is impossible TO publish newspaper
under the restrictions imposed by the
present government.
The editors argue that the publication
of newspapers which support the gov
ernment's policy. as all OF the Manila
papers do. is an enterprise that should
be encouraged rather than harassed.
That they pay almost prohibitive rates
10 secure cablegrams. that they are
served by reputable and conservative
press agencies and that their own finan-
cial interests lead them to instruct their
correspondents not to throw away mon
ey on cabIegrams which could not be
published.
They argue that no correspondent
could possibly forsee that such news
as labor strikes or the appointment OF
a commission to the Philippines would
be considered inimical to the interests
of the government and that moreover
the news which comes to them is not
suppressed but merely postponed be-
cause the Filipinos receive the leading
newspapers from the United States and
read them with the greatest care
The Americans are Just beginning TO
realize that in the island Of Mindanao
until recently merely big blot on the
map, they have wonderful empire.
the most valuable Of all the
Philippine possessions. Although nearly
as large an island as Luzon, with a
much better climate and capable OF be-
ing male a second Cuba in commercial
value the Spaniards never really con-
trolled nor even explored It,
They lived in deadly fear Of the ma
tives and frittered away enough lives
to have made the conquest Of an empire
without gaining possession Of more
than fringe Of coast towns With two
regiments. the Thirty First. which he
recently distributed among the towns
on the southern and eastern coast, and
the Foreieth, which he has just estab-
Iished in the north, General Bates ac-
luired for the United States as much
territory as Spain held. and what Spain
never could get, the friendship Of all
the tribes which the Americans have
encountered. tempered with wholesome
fear.