The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-13
STILL KEEPS Up THE WAR
sAMAR IN HANDS OF REBELS

TACLOBAN, Leyte Province, 2. T.,
April A-Although the war i'm the Phil
ippines has for some time been officially
| described as practically over" the re-
cent operations Of the United States
Philippine commission have been about
the edge of localities which are still
nothing more or less than '.enemy's ter
rltory.' The commissioners had heard
all about the doings of MaxiOn, who
still manages to keep more than a regi-
ment of soldiers confined to the coast
towns of Cebu; Of Samson Tagalog lead
er Of the island Of Bohol, who, with sew
eral hundred followers keeps the peace
full inhabitants and the American officers
guessing as to his whereabouts and OF
MOjican the CHIEF disturber of I.ey1te
But when the representatives Of the
United States faced the real conditions
in Samar, they saw a very serious stua-
tion-insurgent banners Haunted on the
hills around about CatbalOgan. chief CITY
of the island; shots fired into the towns
Sarrisoned by American troops, o. very
common occurrence, and the inhabitants
cowed into naction by fear Of vengeance
of Lukban the dominant iusurgeut com
mander in Samar
When the Americans first entered
BOhOl they were surprised to learn THAI
the republic Of Bohol was about being
founded. Aguinaldos picture hung
prominently in the provincial building
and the BohOiians believed in him as
their leader out Of Spanish tyranny, but
when all was said and the victory won
they were resolved tlat Bchol itself be
free and Independent. AT that time Sam
son, the present insursent commander.
was living at Tasbniran and was on
friendly terms with the Americans But
he frankly told the army officers thac
his principles would never permit him to
cherish any lesser IDEAL for his people
than absolute Independence. He was
given charge of the local police One day
he went out to make pretended tour
CT inspection Of other towns and never
returned
A very marked change in Tagbllarau
and the smaller towns is the progressive
character of their schools. Some Of the
subordinates Of Maj. Woodbury. the mill
tary commander have taken special in
terest in the children. The night Of the
commissions arrival the young Vlsayans
were out to the number Of several
hundred carrying fancy lanterns, torch
es and employing innumerable native de-
signs and shouting 'vivaS' IN front Of
the houses occupied by the American
guests The demonstration ended with
the spirited singing of America" by
those of the children who were good on
English pronunciation, accompanied by
native bands.
Leyte has suffered badly from the raw
ages Of war and the consequent fd1eness
of its people, but the aggresslveness Of.
the Forty-third infantry and the rapid
spread Of the Federal party in the island
have combined to bring about almost
perfect peace. Fine new barracks. Of
fcers quarters and hospital are being
erected on the water front and the town
appears scrupulOusly clean.
Col. Murray, Of the Forty-third regl-
ment. had hoped to have the rebellion
entirely wound up before tho arrival OF
the commission. The influential native
president Of Tacloban had seconded the
effort to such an extent that even then
he was out hiking for Nojican. accom-
panied by twenty-five Of his tCwnsmeu.
1.eyte vas, tGe following day, organized
into a province without delay
Crossing the narrow charmed between
Leytc and Sa1Har A. totally different state
of arairs was found. It was known
that the insurgents occasionally took
some shots at Catbdlogan from the adj
iaccut hillsides which almost surround
ed the city. but the visitors We're quite
amazed 20 learn that the defiant waving
of flags on the hills was a. common oc-
currenca and that the garrisOns in
Catbalogan and other Samar towns
were snot at so often that little was
really thought of such an incident. On
the very day OF the arrival OF the COM
n3iss.olers tae town was hred into.