The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-12
"The PhiIipptnes."

"The Philippines; the War and the Peo-
pie a record of personal observations
and experiences by Albert G. Robin
son. Mcclure, Phillips & Co, New
York.
This volume the fruits Il the author
study of life N the Philippines during an
extended sojou. n there, i, a welcome adj
ditiOn of the list Of works designed to
throw light upon ore of the most i'm
portant of the n9t.ons new political
problems. Its chief are is that it is In
most part a report Of things seen and OF
matters of record, and not merely a re-
sumo Of recent hi try. Mr 7 oEins IN
devotes two or three predatory chapters
to the past life Of he ands, o the
revolutions Of 1872 and 1896 and the real
and immediate cause of tie last revolt
against Spanish rJle. The bIlk of the
rest of the book is a repo Cf ptrso al
observations as to the natives Of the
islands, the American .oTeratio thee
the attitude Of tie church and the fra s
and the conditions which have en-
brought about as a r. suit Cf e ern a
nent American occur; ton.
like many others who have visited the
Philippines Mr.. Re binson Is inclined to
believe that the Filipinos are in.
capable of operating government Of
their own, but he IS rathOr pessinis Il
as to their ability or Wi .ingness to &C
cept American rule. Cn2 chief ob5tacle :
in the way to a pacific Sc Il me 1t OF
pending difficulties has been the hostility
between the AmeIi a soldir and tn
Filipino, the latt,r having 'le- rned t.
hate the American soldier-ju4tly or I n
justly-and Tie so dier-rightly or rong
ly-being disposed 10 turn the fe lin :
in kind For the natives to whom tn )
military element is nece slily the vi
lille expression of Ameri IAN autho itY,
the dislike Of American control has there
he a Ac n
the possibility Ct bringing matters to
satisfactory conclusion, the author says:
Il cannot feel that it would be wise or
right Immediately to leave these people
TO the sole conduct of their own affairs,
yet-unless some marked Improvement
be shown in American methods--there can
be little doubt that they would get along
by themselves quite as well as with
American interference. But there are
many wEO contend that to leave them to
themselves would be to yield them to-
the general anarchy and the drenching of
the islands in the bloodshed of strife
among themselves. What would really
come no man can say, >but the best au-
thorities and the closest observers set
these people down as peaceable and
peace-loving rather than bloodthirsty
and quarrelsome. That their history has
in it much Of turbulence and revolt ar
CUES for them rather than against them.
Their fighting has not been done for the
sake of or for the love of fighting It
has been their protest against injustice
and oppression, the struggle of crude
patriots rather than of crude and war
like men,
One thing which must be recognized
in Mr.. Robinsons view, is that the
Filipino ways and customs must be re-
spected. The idea that American ways
necessarily are best must be eliminated
in our future dealings with the internal
polity of the islands With this fact
recognized, the United States after
time may yet find a means of so exer-
cising it's influence as to secure settled
condition of affairs. Says Mr. Roblnso On:
The great danger in absolute self-gov-
eminent for the Filipino is in the lack Of
balance wheel among aspiring leaders
That may well be the function of the
United States. Protection from other
powers they must have. For that the
United States is now almost irretrievably
pledged Protection against disorder
arising out Of struggles for leadership IS
also a work to which the United States
is morally committed. A tactful hand
for guidance and restraint is the special
need of the Filipinos until the new I'M
tried and half-brol1en political colt shall
become settled in the traces and accus-
toned to his work.
Mr.. Robinsons volume is by no means
limited to the consideration of the govern
mental and social problems involved in the
American occupation, and some of tie
most interesting chapters are those de-
voted to various peculiar phases Of native
life. There is much entertaining des-