The age-herald., 1901-09-25
w and SOCIETY
Women Beat Government.

LhN ndS HI NAhNh N--~ American woman has adapted herself to conditions in the Philippines stands out as an example of her courage and her dauntless spirit, and emphasizes how loyal she is to not only Uncle sam's sol diers, but to Uncle Sam himself.
 The government made futile attempts to prevent American women from going to the Philippines. It would not permit any woman to go over on the transports that conveyed the army. But the women whose husbands were going to the front determined that even the government should not separate them, and when the officers went aboard the governm ent transports they were buoyed up by the hope that their wives, who were left be- hind, would soon follow or know the req son why. It will be recalled that when Capt. Thomas Hardeman of Birmingham sailed with his regiment for the Philip pines his wife, with number of other women whose husbands had sailed on the same transport. boarded regular liner that left San Francisco a week or two later. When Captain Hardeman reached Manila the first person to greet him was his wife, who with the other American women had already arrived in the Phil ippines and beaten Uncle Sam at his own game.
 The Hardemans have now been joined by their little girl, Miss Annie Laurie Hardeman, who, with her grandmother, sailed for Manila early in July. Captain Hardeman holds a responsible position in one of the provinces and, with his family, is delightfully."- located at Sin gayen, where they nave taken a fine old house, once the home of t.le Friars.
 That Mrs. Hardeman is even now per mitted by this great government of ours to remain with her husband is another illustration of the pluck of the American woman.
 Uncle Sam put his foot down upon the women who wanted to join their hus- bands in these provinces over which the starry banner floats. If the women were in the employ of the government no objection was raised to their going. But otherwise they might remain in Ma nila or return to their native land. Many of the officers wives conferred about this new step on the part of the govern ment. They were told that only women who were to teach in the schools were to be allowed to go. To teach the native Filipino so much as a catechism had not occurred to many American women who had followed their husbands to the front. They had not been particularly ambi- tious to discipline these brown little na- lives by the methods suggested by Uncle a4oI American women again outwitted the government. Many who applied for po- sitions to teach were of course unsuc- ceseful and as a way of heaping coals of fire upon Uncle Sams head she had a great Fourth of July celebration in her school where the Stars and Stripes played a conspicuous part Then on Flag Day the little Filipinos sang Amer lea and the Star Spang1ed Banner, which was interspersed by patriotic recitations. and although 1t is a charming little story that comes from the far away Philippines of this clever Birmingham woman who is so loyal to her country and its flag and to her brave husband, who was among the first to respond to his country's call.
 That Mrs. Hardeman's educational work is not conducted merely to be near her husband, while to accomplish this first prompted her to apply for the posi- tion, but is now a serious work to her, Is indicated by the great success of her school. The superintendent of public edu- cation in the Philippines has officially pronounced it to be the best conducted school over there, and this opinion is shared by the officers of the post and the officials in the province.