The Irish standard., 1901-04-20
Compiled in Two Volumes in Spanish for
Use of the Government
by Two Priests.
One of Them is Rev. Jose Algue, Director
of Famous Observatory
at Manila City.

as an authoritative work on the storms
of. Eastern lands. The commission
very sensibly resolved to secure for
the United States government all the
valuable information that the labora-
tory staff had been so faithfully col
lecting for many years. The Jesuits
were invited to write an account of the
present status of scientific knowledge
of the Philippines. The volumes we
have for review are the result. For
over year Fathers Algue and Clos
have been in Washington seeing the
volumes through the government
press.
Those of us who know the thorough
ness with which Jesuits perform a
task committed to them will readily
realize that the work is storehouse
Of valuable information. More than
this. it is the best possible answer to
those who think always of members of
religious orders as Willing away the
time between their public and private
orisons in idle contemplation or
thoughtless ease. Under the manifold
discouragements of the lackadaisical
Spanish regime these devoted men
have applied themselves faithfully to
their scientific observations and inves-
legations. In laborious silence their
work has gone on, and now the fruit
of it is precious evidence of the deep
purpose and loyal fulfillment of their
duties as simple religious engaged in
a great work.
Shortly after the Philippine commits
sioners reached Manila it was learned
that series Of maps covering the
most important islands of the archi-
pelago was being prepared at the Jes-
suit observatory under the supervision
Of the director, Rev. Jose Algue, S. J.
An inspection of such of the maps
as already had been completed satis-
fed the commission that they were
superior to anything hitherto pub
lished. 1t was learned that the Jesuit
Fathers planned to make the series
quite complete, but they had no very
definite ideas as to when the work
would be completed or how the maps
would be published eventually. The
commission conceived the idea of Sc
curing their cooperation in the prepa-
ration Of comprehensive atlas of the
archipelago, and with this end in view
asked them to submit tentative list
of maps. The request was promptly
complied with.
The entire absence of accurate sur
veys of many Of the islands was nec-
essarily a serious drawback, but the
Jesuits spared no pains in securing all
available data and verified them by
consultation with members of the 9TH
er religious orders, as well as with old
residents, travellers, and explorers. To
the admirable work of their own or
der is due practically all of our present
knowledge of the interior of Minda-
mao.
While political questions. revolu-
tions, plottings and counter plottings,
murmurings and dissatisfaction were
so rife around them. in quiet, scholarly
ohscurity the Jesuits We're working out
the scientific data of the Philippines,
getting it ready as precious gift to
the new century.
The acquisition of the Philippines
has given to the United States another
problem in the matter of education not
unlike that which came after the civil
war, as the result of the freedom of
the cOlOred race. How i'll that prob
lem was handled we are only Just be-
ginning to realize. Our responsibility
in the Philippines, where we have to
deal with confessedly inferior race,
is all the more poignant for our previ-
GUS failure. In recent times the hope
full sign in the treatment of the col
ored race here has been the establish
ment of our technical schools. AL
ready the school system of the West
Indies is undergoing reorganization. It
will not be long before similar meas
ures will be under consideration for
the Philippines. 1t is interesting to
note then that those who know the