The Washington times., 1901-09-12
CONDITIONS In GUAM.
The Governor of the Island Speaks
Highly of the Natives.

Highly of the Natives.
! Commander Seaton Schroeder Governor
/ of Guam. who is in Washington as wit
ness before the SchIey Court of Enquiry.
| was interviewed yesterday in regard to
/ conditions in Guam. He declared that re-
ports of serious trouble between the ofn-
! cials and the marines and civil employees
| in the island were greatly exaggerated.
| He -exrlained that the civil government
and the military organization Mt the naval
stations are separate, and it has been the
! custom to detail in the naval station en-
| listed men of the navy to clerical and
other civil work until they could De re-
| lieved by civilian appointees-
Il have nothing but praise for the n
habitants of the island said Commander
Schroeder. They are very peaceful and
respectable. and give trouble. The
I Filipino prisoners also gave no trouble
whatever. When the natives of Guam
first heard that Filipino prisoners were to
be brought to Guam they came to me IN
| great fear. but when | assured them that
| the prisoners were not convicts. but men
of standing. who were merely prisoners
of war, they were quickly quieted.
Commander Schroeder described the
system of government in the island. say
ing that there are at the naval stations
about ten civilian employees and forty en-
listed men doing clerical and other non
military work. In addition to this there
are stationed there about 17o marines.
There is no barracks for these men
like there would be in the United States,
with an enclosure around it, said he.
"It has been the custom to allow the men
their liberty when they are not on guard
duty, and as there is no barracks within
which they could assemble they come and
go very much at their own pleasure when
not on duty. Some of them who have
their families with them. live outside of
the quarters. and this was the situation
when it was reported that the men were
not behaving properly. The conditions
finally resulted in my curtailing their lib
erty at night. 1t did not place them in
actual confinement, but merely restricted
their movements so that they We're COM
PEELED to remain in quarters after halt
past nine o'clock at night
How about the food supplied the
menY' he was asked.
We'll. you know the navy regulations
allow the Communication of % per cent oi
the rations so that the enlisted men car
purchase delicacies anG articles of foot
to sheir liking As a matter of fact, they
! are not restricted to z5 per cent. 1 tool
| into consideration the circumstances an,
| issued an order allowing an increase il
| the communication, and while / probabl.
went beyond the regulations in doing 81
. | l felt that the men were entitled to it
! They have an excellent mess and ever.
transport brings groceries from San Fran
. cisco, so that they always have an abun
dance of good food.
I'm addition to the good food supply W
had an ice plant at Agana. the capita
= where we manufactured a limited suppl
= of ice. l always aim to keep small re
. serve supply on hand and l notified tn
civilian employees that if they would forr
:, a mess l would issue to them collectivel
:. a quantity of ice for refrigerating pun
poses. / also kept them supplied wit
= distilled water This was in the sam
= way as the ice was issued to the eniiste
y mems mess and to the officers.
Now, there were several persons VIII
y did not desire to affiliate themselves wit
the mess and went to live in the toWi
e OF course, l could not approve of tn
$ issuance OF ice to these individuals. a
e | they would take enough individually
y keep the refrigerators of nearly the who
mess That is how the statements orig
=, | mated about ice not being Suppied 10 CIV
n | ilian employees.
Y There is absolutely no truth in tt
n statements that the employees of the Co
.e ernment were not properly cared 10
Clerks came there under an agreemei
le with the Government to stay a year,
u y, the end of which they We're to recelN
III their passage to the United States fr'
.e of charge. 1t was not expected that tins
Z would desire to return to the Unite
IL States after a few weeks or months
| the island after putting the GovernInei
y, ~ to the expense of sending them to Qua
- and paying their salaries during the vo
= age 1t was found in one instance, nov
IN | ever, that the proper course would pc
T. send a clerk home before the eXpir;alis ;i
In dr11tff tod
-, -, | absolutely nothing about clerical wol
aas | and was of no service to the GovernmeI
,u u Guam is beginning to recover deilnit
:" | ly from the effects of the hurricane
. last November There have been sever
IN II, | crops of corn and sweet potatoes, al
"a "a | fruits of various kinds are now obtaln
a. a. rebuilt except the villages of liic al
u | Pago which were entirely destroyed;
g attempt has been MADE 10 fepuliu tIie
ha at all and the sites have been abandoned,
W | think the people, as q rule, recognize Al
- | are grateful for the assistance ahord
10 by the Government, the money spent
70 food distributed amounting TO ABOUT ~
~ | 600 The roads that were washed aW'
~ have been under repair and By the el
,a of the next dry season Will practically
" ~ have been rebuilt.
" THE three things that appear to be
O. major importance to the island are ed
III cation in English tongue roads from I
r. outlying districts. and water supply /
IS. the capital. Agana l have 1ust secur u.
1
sc recent steamer to take charge of the (
Of glish DEF artment of the public schoo
,oa o5 | and it is hoped that work on interior col
20 .sa munication will begin with the dry 81
- - son in November.
int M , ga and the faborers work fait
." fully when employed. As almost eve
IS man is a small landowner, however,
as is not always easy TO hire labor; ever
one works preferably on his own ran'
a census IS being taken now and 1t
r expected that the population will be fou
| he abnut