The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-01
CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
DIERS ANOTHER PROOF OF
FILIPINO TREACHERY
ARMY OFFICER DISCUSSES IT
FiIipinos Are Peculiar People, Err
ratio in Temperament, and I'm
trustWOrthy-Situa
of Hard Problems.

According to the statement of an army
officer of high rank, recently returned
| from the Orient, the victorious attack
upon Company C, of the Ninth infantry.
ait Samar, will not have the effect of en-
couraging any of the FilipinoS to think
that they are in a fair way to victory.
These things can only be described
as unfortunate incidents of the war he
said. "It may be that the success of
the attack was due to the carelessness
Of some o fthe American officers, but the
FilipinoS / have found in my experience
| should always be watched
mot many of the officers, as rule,
take any stock in the protestations OF
friendship made by the natives. Watch
them all the time is the only way, but
do so in such manner that they will
not know that you are keeping track of
their movements.
Zone of the greatest difficulties that
the American officers have had to en-
counter there is the fact that they have
nothing definite to offer the natives.
Many asked me if they were citizens of
| the United States, and l told them that
they were. 1t is all unsettled. we
cannot hope to hold them and civilize
them after the British methods. Harsh
measures are. not what is needed What
| they want is to know where they are
at" There are many of the better class,
merchants planters, ETC.. who are ex-
tremely anxious that this country come
into possession of the islands. They Fave
large interests in the country, and want
| them protected. But the larger class, as
rule, are what you might call erratic
in temperament. One day they will re-
ceive you as a friend of their bosom,
and something may occur in the night
and by daybreak of the next day you are
their deadliest enemies, and they will
kill you on sight.
TO show how some of the wealthy
class are situated I called upon Il planter
III the district 1 was commanding, and
during our very pleasant conversation I
| asked him how far his land extended. In
| reply he told ME to look as far as could
| towards the four points of the compass.
| AS far as you can see,' he said the land
| is mine He had private bard of forty
pieces, and lived like a baron of olden
times. Now, his vast interests must be
| considered, and so far this country has
done nothing in that direction.
OFFICERS HAVE HANDS FULL.
"Officers in charge of districts have
many things to contend with. In enc dis
| trict I commanded a man named Deigo
| had been under arrest, but my predeceS-
| sor had released him. The man called
| or me and informed me that he was go
| ing to take up his residence in the dis
| trict again, and impressed me as being a
| thorough gentleman. A short time after
| I received word from the native governor
| of the district stating that while Deigo
was at large the governors head was not
| safe. Now, could do nothing, for Deigo
! was conducting himself properly, and I
! had no excuse for locking him up. I sent
| native police to watch him, but invari-
! ably they reported that there was nothing
wrong in what the man was doing. You
iS nT(lr
| themselves.
''In regard to the Ninth, they have been
unfortunate. They are fine lot of men,
brave soldiers and first-rate troops in
every way, but they have suffered much
At Tien Tsin they were placed in bad
position by the British and occupied the
most dangerous position of any of the
troops. They were within $50 yards of the
Chinese troops and of course met with
heavy loss. Then there was this affair on
Samar, which, as I said, may have re-
suited from carelessness.
CARELESSNESS RESPONSIBLE.
s"The so-calIed massacre of Capt Mitch
ellis company of the Fifteenth infantry
not long ago was due to carelessness.
Capt. Mitchell had just been sent out and
did not know the country or the natives,
and his life, as well as the lives of many
of his command, might have been saved
mand.
The Filipino cannot be trusted The
friendliest are net sincere in their vows
of good will. and they must be watched
as long as there is an American soldier
in the islands.
1T will be years before the United
States will be in complete control of the
islands. and many things must be done
to insure the Filipinos of our good will
before they will ever submit to our rule.
'The average Filipino is brave until he
sees his friends begin to fall around him,
then he takes to cover. His ideas of
mercy are also queer. For instance they
will bury man alive and give as an ex-
cuse or reason for so doing that it would
be brutal to knock him on the head with
club, therefore they put him in a hole
and throw the dirt in on him, and go
away in the consciousness of having done
deed of mercy. They are queer people
and difficult TO understand