New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-20
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
NEWS OF INTEREST DROUGHT IN THE
MAILS FROM aMANILA

Manila April 15-General Smith. formerly Colonel
of the California Volunteers Is In Manila for
short visit reports conditions in the island Of
Negros satisfactory. TIE civil government
he has established there is prospecting. though 1t
needs the careful direction. General Smith
finds the native civil Governors and .Councilmen to
be better trainers of laws than administra tors
thereof He emphaticay denies the stories recent
ly that he discovered plot among his
native administrators to overthrow the American
authority In Negroes. and that he had consequent
ly to mprison several of his Cabinet General
Smith declares that the stories OF the backsliding of
his civil administrators started by the Hong
Kong Junta in order 10 dscredft the success of his
civil government experiment in Negros
A large part of the town OF SHAY, the west
coast of Negroes has been destroyed by con-
fe grafton of accidental origin. The Negros papers
comment most favorabIy the heroic and deter
mined work done by members of the 9Th Infantry
in preventing the spread OF the flames
Within the days has reached the
abnormally high price of 81 30 Mexican a pound
Never before in the history Of Manila has 1t been
expensive. The prevailing price in the Hong
Kong market has been. fourteen cents a pound FOR
years. and the American Government brings frozen
beef from Australia and sells it to the army to-day
for cents gold equal to this Hong Kong
price of fourteen cents Mexican 1t has been DIFF
fcult to account for this excessive price of 81 So
One local newspaper openly charged the meat in
spectors with fraud and showing favoritsm to GER
tain dealers in passing their cattle, while those Of
other refused clean bills OF health. This
charge resulted in examination by the au-
thorities into the causes accountable for the high
prices The result of this inquiry, while not proving
fraud originally alleged. caused the price of
drop from 81 80 to co cents pound in
twenty-four hours. and if the Hong Kong dealers
obtain free entry for their cattle into Manila
1t is stated they will compete with the local trad
and by this method prices will probably be kept
down to proper level.
CENSORSHIP TOO OPPRESSIVE.
he of
American newspapers here hoping that the
rival of the Civil Commission will result in a re-
form of the present censorship methods. Cable dis
patches announcing the appointment of the Com
mission received by two of the Manila news
papers. but the censor forbade them to print this
He has asserted that he suppresses only
that news "inimical TO the interests of the Mill
tary Government Frequent friction be-
tween the correspondents and the previous censor
while the Schurman Commission was here over
messages relating the Commission. and there
sometimes much trouble in getting through
which the Commission had given out for
publication.
The editors of the local newspapers complain bit
terly and unanimously that the censorship II
is managed inficts upon them wholly needless
hardships and great financial loss. The only Fill
Pine paper which supported the American Admin
istration has suspended publication account of
the censorship and the editor of the oldest and
respectable and friendly Spanish journal
nounces that he intends to close his business and
leave Manila because 1t is impossible to publish
newspaper under the restrictions imposed by the
present Government
The editors argue that the publication of news
papers which support the Governments policy,
all of the Manila papers do, is enterprise that
should be encouraged rather than harassed: that
they pay almost prohibtive rates to cable
dispatches. that they served by reputable and
conservative press agencies, and that their
financial interests lead them to instruct their
respondents not to throw away money cable
che uhIc mid he Cd TbaJ-
argue that correspondent could possibly fore
see that such news as labor strikes or the APP
would considered inimical to the interests Of the
comes to them is not suppressed, but merely post
poned. because the Filipnos receive the leading
with the greatest
AN EMPIRE IN MINDANAO
The Americans are just beginning to realize that
in the island of Mindanao. until recently merely
a big blot the map. they have wonderful en-
pre, potentially the most valuable of all the Phil
ippine possessions. Although nearly as large as
the island OF Luzon, with much better climate.
and capable of being made second Cuba in
mercial value the Spaniards never really controlled
explored it, They lived In deadly fear Of
the natives and frittered away enough lives to
have made the conquest of empire without gath
erfng possession OF more than a fringe of coast
towns. With two regiments the 31st which he
recently distributed among the towns the south
ern and eastern coast. and the 10th. which he has
just established in the north. General Bates
quired for the United States much territory as
Spain held, and what Spain could get the
friendship Of all the tribes which the Americans
have encountered, tempered with wholesome fear
Indeed. experience with the sMoros of Mindanao
has convinced many officers that the treaty with
the Sultan of Sulu was mistake, in that it con-
ferred upon that picturesque person fictitious APP
prafsal of his Importance which may be pro-
ductfve of trouble than a display of the
mailed fist would have been. They do not think
the Moros such terrible warriors against modern
weapons as they have been pictured. In some of
the most important garrisons of Afindanao, nota-
ed of impressing the chiefs the fact that the
nnt b PToeoSe to give them Just govern
harm done the Americans will be followed By swift
any rate is the Moro mind ea at
peclay when 1t is Illustrated BY the facilities for
The American officers are convinced that the |
cheapest way to deal with the Moros. who are |
ter. will be to show them mercy when once
t hy become hostile even if some innocent lives |
Of the officers in the Moro country with whom the
correspondent of The Associated Press talked are |
will In time be inevitable To avoid 1t will require |
almost a impossible diplomacy. Many of them think !
American Indians. inc 'iie
An4'hsf possibility Of danger lies in the temper
a. representative of this class thus described II:
people Without are b to s sft a9R Th these
a scrap; that Is what we enlisted for We crowd |
we are pound 10 get them stirred up time"
A JESUIT PAMPHLET
The most sensational of the events OF the last |
week has been the general distribution by the |
Jesuits Of pamphlet in which Is set forth the
truths which Christians must observe" Among
the things most strongly condemned the Jesuits
IN TINS pamphlet are religious tolerance and recog-
milton Of civil marriage. Consequently this act of
the Jesuits is considered by many to be en- attack
American