Evening star., 1901-06-12
Some Of the Philippine Provinces Are
Still Unpaci6ed.
EXPERIENCES OF TAFT COMMISSION
Members Fired On the Day They
Reached Catbalogan.
ACTIVITY OF INSURGENTS
Correspondence Of the Associated Press.


TACLoBAN,, Leyte Province, P. l..
April "a. 1901.
Although the war in the Philippines
has for some time been officially described
as practically over" the recent opera
tions Of the United States Philippine COM
mission have been about the edge of To-
calities which are still nothing more nor
less than "enemy's territory" The COM
nissioners had heard all about the do
irgs of Maxilon, the Cebu insurgent, who
still manages to keep more than a regf-
ment of soldiers confined to the coast towns
Of Cebu; Of Samson. Tagalog leader of the
Island of Bohol, who, with several hundred
followers, keeps the peaceful inhabitants
and the American officers guessing as to
his whereabouts, and Of Mojican. the chief
disturber OF Leyte. But when the repre-
sentatives of the United States faced the
real conditions in Samar, they. saw a
very serious situation-insurgent banners
Haunted on the hills round about Catbalo-
gan, chief city of the island; shots fired
into the towns garrisoned by American
troops, were a very common occurrence,
and the Inhabitants were cowed into mac
ton by fear of vengeance of Lukban. the
dominant tnsurgent commander in Samar
The "Republic of BohoI."
When the Americans first entered Bohol
they were surprised to learn that the Re
public Of Bohol'' was about being founded
Aguinaldo's picture hung prominently in
the provincial building. and the Boholians
believed in him as their leader out Of
Spanish tyranny; but when all was said
and done and the victory won, they were
resolved that Bohol itself be free and in
dependent. At that time Samson, the pres
ent insurgent commander, was living at
Tagbilaran, and was on friendly terms
with the Americans. But, he frankly told
the army officers that his principles would
never permit him to cherish any lesser
ideal for his people than absolute inde-
pendence. He was given charge OF the
local police. One day he went out to
make a pretended tour Of inspection Of
other towns, and never returned.
A very marked characteristic OF Tag
bilaran and the smaller towns Is the pro-
gressive character of their schools. Some
of the subordinates Of Major Woodbury..
the military commander, have taken special
interest in the children. The night of the
commissions arrival the young Visayans
were out to the number of several hundred.
carrying fancy lanterns, torches and en-
blems of seemingly innumerable native de-
Sign, 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 at English
pronunciation, accompanied by native
bands.
Leyte Suffering From the War.
Leyte has suffered badly from the raw
ages of war and the consequent idleness Of
its people, but the aggressiveness of the
4ad Infantry, and the rapid spread OF the
federal party in the island have combined
to bring about almost perfect peace. Fine
new barracks officers quarters and hos
pital are being erected on the water front.
and the town appears scrupulously clean.
Col. Murray of the 43d Regiment had
hoped to have the rebellion entirely wound
up before the arrival Of the commission.
The influential native presfdente of Taclo-
ban had seconded the effort to such an ex-
tent that even then he was out hiking for
Mojakan, accompanied by twenty-five Of
his townsmen. Leyte was shortly after
ward organized into a province.
Crossing the narrow channel between
Leyte and Samar, a totally different state
of affairs was found. 1t was known that
the insurgents occasionally took some shots
at Catbalogan from the adjacent hillsides
which almost surround the city, but the
visitors were quite amazed to learn that
the defiant waving of the flags on hills was
common occurrence, and that the gar
risons in Catbalogan and other Samar
towns were shot at so often that little was
really thought Of such an incident. On the
very day of the arrival Of the commission
ers the town was fred into.