St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Thirty Thousand Lepers.


An appended report to General Mac
Arthur's review of the civil affairs of the
Philippines for the last fiscal year gives
some rat her startling facts regarding
the introduction and prevalence of )ep-
rosy in the islands. According to the
estimates of the Franciscan fathers, SAYS
Major Guy l.. Eide, the writer OF the
report, there are no less than thirty
thousand lepers in the archipelago, the
greater portion of these being in the
Visayas. Leprosy was introduced in
1888, when the Emperor OF Japan sent
ship with hundred and fifty lepers on
board to the Philippines, to be cared for
by the Catholic priests. Thus the seed
was planted and asno practical methods
ever were adopted to eradicate the dis.
ease or prevent its spread it has taken
firm root. house to house inspection
begun last January found more than one
hundred lepers concealed in dwellings,.
These were sent to San Lazare Hospital
in Manila, but many Others escaped into
the surrounding country. A commission
is now engaged in selecting suitable
island or islands for he purpose of iso-
lating all the lepers in the archipelago.
A December Campaign.
A pushing campaign has been carried
on by the 10th Infantry during December
in Northern MindanaO. The town of
Jemeniz was captured as was also the
surgent stronghold in the mountains
further inland. The coast town of Ian
garin was captured by a detachment of
a hundred troops, who scattered the
enemy in that vicinity, killing and cap
turing several A portion of the troops
thus engaged have returned to Cagayan
and joined in the campaign which Briga-
ier-General Kobbe is personally prosecu
ting. General MacArthur's proclama-
ton is resulting in many arrests OF al
legged insurrectionists in Manila and
vicinity, a few of those taken into
custody being prominent One prisoner
was shot dead and another wounded in
attempting to escape.
Work of the Commission.
The Philippine commission has COM
oleted the tariff bill and mailed it to
Washington for approval. Its decision
was made public Monday. The first
question dealt with by the commission
an issue betwte en- the church and
The United States government is the
question whether the control of the San
lose Medical college is vested in the gov
,rnment or the church. The college was
established by bequest in the seventeenth
century, and to the Jesuit order was
given its control. When the authority
ot the Jesuits in the Philippines ceased the
Spanish government assumed direction
ii the college, and later permitted the
Dominican order to conduct San Jose
College as part OF the University of Santo
Tomas. Following the American occu-
patton, representative of the people in
listed that the college, under the Treaty
IT Paris, came into control of the United |
states and ought not to be controlled bv
he church. The church authorities
laimed that the church had full legal
possession. General Otis finally closed |
he institution. The first hearing took
,lace shortly after the commission ar.
lived. Archbshops Chapelle and Noza-
eda made the presentation of church's
If the commission decides that |
he control is vested in the government
is considered probable.