Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-29
THE OCCUPATION OF JOLO
AN INTERESTING REPORT FROM
MAJOR SWEET.
Something About the Village Where
United States Troops Have
Been Stationed.

a report just received at the War De-
partment from the commanding officer at
JOlo, Island Of JoiO, SuIu archipelag go,
contains interesting Information regarding
that remote section of our new possessions
never before compiled or published. Jolo,
which, with the exception of Tawi Tawi,
Is the most remote island belonging to
the United States, lies In the Sea OF Jolo,
in longitude 121 degrees east Of Greenwich
and on the sixth parallel north from the
equator, about 100 miles due west from
the easternmost point of Borneo, 7Ss miles
s.se. from Manila, s,6s1 from San Fran
cisco and H. 28 from Washington.
The island was first occupied the 10Th
Of May 1899, when Companies B, c, D,
L, F, G, II and L, 23d Infantry, under
the Spanish General Huertas who had
with him a garrison Of twenty-four officers
and 500 men. The village OF Jolo is thus
described by Major Sweet:
lit is hardly more than a good-sIzed
military post, beautifully laid out, with
broad, clean streets, lined with towering
trees and gardens and surrounded by a
loop-holed wall about eight feet high and
ton is estimated at 400, mostly Cinnamon,
one German, no other Europeans. -Four
male Moros live within the walls, The
public buildings are IN a dlapidatsd con.
dition. The governors residence and office
is one small building There s che group
Of barracks -four buildings) which viii
accommodate one battalion. The theatcr
Will accommodate one company and OUT
lying block houses two companies A
commissary, post office, school house, a
hospital for about 100 beds, a market ana
some few small structures compose the
remainder Of the public buildings"
The commanding officer Of the United
States troops reported the day after his
arrival that the situation, in SO far as de-
termined from our experience, was as fol-
lows
Spain possesses the small walled town
known as Jolo. The governor has com-
plete. control within the walls. There are
the walls the Sultan of Jolo and Borneo
is the ruler. Spain pays him 500, MeAl-
can, per month, At present he is not on
the Island, but is visiting one Of the neigh-
boring islands about thirty miles south,
He has recently returned from Mecca and
now dresses in European costume. Span>
tsh soldiers seldom go beyond the range
Of the outlying block houses. The relar
Spain is not altogether harmonious"
The Sultan Of Sulu is addressed as His
Htghness Hadji Mohammed Jumalul Kh
ram. Sultan q Jolo Archipelago, North
The report says in parti
When an inferior formally addresses
his htghness, datoh, ia5ah Or selip, he
distinction made by an inferior when al.
dressing persons of lower ranl, than those.
In formally addressing the sultan the SUI
lus Introduce the subject of discourse by
the preliminary formula, 'Ampun baribu,
ampam ha topak. Sikh sin 3ungonssnf
cPardons, thousands Of pardons at the
feet Of the sultan be extended to this
Your slave; mike ampun In satak.
when addressing his highness directly,
they say Jgnjongan,' or Munga 3angoa.
gan, ('May It be- your highnessfo Jun.
gongan being the sulu title Of the sui.
tan. Americans and foreigners only use
Tuan in addressing the sultan. This ia
because he is hadJi. Els subjects never
use tuan before his title, but Say only
sultan or 'Junjongan,' as 'Astana sin suf-
tan the sultan's palace)."