The Minneapolis journal., 1901-02-11
WINS THE NATIVES
Admirable Work of Colonel Edmund
Rice of Minnesota.
ISLAND OF PANAY PAcIFIED
His Unremitting Labor Transforms
Completely u Hot Bed of
InsurrecttOn.

New York, Feb. IA special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The large island Of Panay, of which
Iliilo Is the chief port, has been one of
the most vexatious hotbeds OF insurrection
in the whole Philippine archipelago, and
the announcement that its pacihcation has
now been practically accomplished was one
of the most gratifying messages received
by the war department in the last week
The Tribune has just received from an
officer on duty in Panay a letter written
Just before Christmas. giving an account
of the achievement. 1t is the work of
Colonel Edmund Rice. who is from Will
mar, MINI. He says in part:
Most Of the officers on duty throughout the
fourth district, department of the Visayas,
have had little or no sympathy with any
thing relating to civil government. They be-
lieved the time was not ripe for it. Never
theless the district commander Colonel Ed
mund Rice, Twenty-sixth Infantry, U. S. ",
insisted on his policy being carried out Of
combining as much as possible the civil and
the military Month after month the. work
went on, everything possible being done to
inform the natives OF their privileges and
opportunities. Time ana time again elections
were ordered, only 70 get the report ''No
one here cares to take the necessary oath
OF allegiance to the United States govern
ment."
At last Colonel Rice's aid, Lieutenant G..
r. D. McGregor, Twenty infantry,
whom the district commander had put in
charge Of civil affairs last April, through act
Ing as counsel before military commission
in defense OF some newspaper publishers
charged with publishing seditious articles,
won the friendship and esteem of the most
clever and influential clique of the island of
Panay These were men Of wealth, education
and travel, and called themselves ''neutrals. Z
After the trial the lieutenant kept in touch
with them, and brought much influence to
bear on them to make them 'pro- American ?
The officers of the Twenty infantry
had toiled unremittingly to bring about peace
and prosperity on the island. Yet, despite
the improved conditions, the remarkable low
ering of the death rate, the almost total Grad
ication of smallpox and the increased clean
liness, beauty, prosperity and peace of the
towns, the 'tneutrals'' had held aloof.
But on Nov % last, Apollonia le Desma,
one of the clique, decided to take the oath,
aud on tbe following days hundreds OF Jaro
citizens Of all classes surged about post head
quarters endeayoring to swear allegiance.
Two days later Molo followed suit and the
oaths there quickly ran into the thousands.
Colonel Rice telegraphed all over the island,
announcing that the ice had been broken,
and that Jaro and Molo bad fallen into line.
One month Later, on Dec. Il, the record OF
oaths taken in Panay showed a total Of
%, 1884,
This absolute change Of front has deep
significance. These people now are coming
over to the Americans with a rush, and they
are warm, toe, in their enthusiasm.
+ With the Island of Panay becoming Ameri-
eanized at the rate of 800 day, the end is
In sight Divested Of the support from the
towns the bands of insurgents that still
exist must languish and disintegrate, and
when they can no longer rate. the native
scouts and police can soon 4and with much
delight) wipe out the ether baHe-the la
-drones or robbers. Then the few remaining
problems will rapidly solve themselves,