The Irish standard., 1901-04-20

Admiral Dewey, during the months
after his victory at Manila and before
the arrival of the United States COM
missioners, found that he could obtain
the most reliable information with re-
gard to the Philippine Islands and the
natives from the Jesuit Fathers in
charge Of the observatory at Manila.
The commissioners asked the Jesuits
to arrange all the data with reference
to the Philippines and allow the United
States government to print them. This
is the origin of two volumes Gn Span
ish) which have just been issued from
the government press in Washington,
entitled Gel Archipelago Filipino, be-
ing q. Collection of Historical, Geo
graphical, Statistical and Scientific
Data Concerning the Philippine Archi-
pelago, Collected by the Fathers of
the Society of Jesus in Charge of the
Observatory at Manila"
OF the 1900 sets Of the works (con-
sisting of two volumes and atlas> thus
issued 500 were reserved by the gov
ernment for it's own use. and 1000
Awere given to Father 4Algue to he sold
for the benefit of the famous observa-
tory at Manila, of which he is direc-
tor. OF these latter 200 sets will be
disposed of by Father Algue. from
Manila; the other 800 sets have been
placed for distribution with his agent.
Rev. John J. Wynne, 27 and 20 West
Sixteenth street. New York City.
James J. Walsh. Phs d.. NJ. D., in
the course of comprehensive review
written for The Messenger of The
Sacred Heart, says of the work in
question:
The controversy over the work Of
the religious orders in the Philippine
Islands has recently entered upon an
acute phase. This is mainly due to
the overhasty Ito say the least) utter
ances Of a well-known dignitary of
the Episcopal church, who spent some
four days in Manila and then came
it, The good man knew so little about
the history of the religious orders, not
alone in the Philippines, but in gen.
.,eral, that he says
"The Jesuits were expelled from the
Philippines by an Apostolic Brief Of
! Pope Clement XIV" 1t is evident that
he is entirely ignorant of the complete
suppression of the Jesuits all over the
world brought about by political influ-
cnces ut the time and thinks that Gle
ment XIV.'s brief referred only to the
order in the Philippines. Then he
adds: ut is quite true that they were
allowed to return in 1851, but only on
lsondition that they should confine their
labor to strictly educational and mis-
sionary work"
Fortunately there are some Ameri-
cans who are able to appreciate that
great problem whose evolution has
been matter of hundreds of years
can not be solved by the help of the
data gathered in less than a week The
commissioners sent by the president of
the United States to study the situa-
tion in the Philippines report it's ele-
. ments and advise as to the, best man.
ner of dealing with it were not of
those who felt that they could exhaust
Sthe subject in the few short months
, they had to give it, Accordingly they
looked for help in the gathering of data
and the elucidation of obscure points
in the generally accepted traditions
and conditions in the archipelago.
Admiral Dewey. who had been i'm
pressed with the difficulty of the task
that confronted the commission, had
learned during his months in Manila
to appreciate the Jesuits in charge of
the astronomical observatory at the
Philippine capital. At his suggestion
the Fathers We're consulted by the
commissioners. 1t was found that
they had accumulated vast amount
of precious data with regard to nearly
every subject of scientific interest in
the islands. The director of the OBJ
servatory, Father Algue, S. J.. had al
ready published a book on the cyclones
: of the Philippines. which was accepted