Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-23
Conditions in the Southern Archi-
pelago of the Philippines.
REPORTS FROM THE ARMY OFFICERS
Slavery Can Not Be Suddenly
and Arbitrarily Abolished.
SULTAN OPPOSED BY DATTOS

Is devoted to matters in the Sulu archipei-
age On this subject Gen. e. II. Crowder,
military secretary 10 the military governor,
says:
An examination of the treaties and tho
practices of Spain IN her relations with the
sultanate of Jolo demonstrates that the
sultan was, for The last half century OF
Spanish domination, a subject of Spain,
and that such doubts as have arisen as to
the relations between the Spanish govern
Inent and the sultanate have sprung from
the failure on the part of that government
to exercise the rights it had, and not from
the lack of possessing them. The first
treaty of which there is any record, be-
tween Spain and the sultan, was In 1886.
and was quickly followed by another in
1881. These went no further than to reg
ulate trade relations. In 1851, as the result
of brief war between Spain and the sui
tan. treaty was entered into between the
sultain and Spain, which is entitled, An
act of Incorporation in the Spanish mon
archy." In this paper the SULTAN and his
Gattos. in the clearest and strongest terms,
repeatedly admit tire sovereignty of Spain,
not only by virtue of the previous treaties,
but by virtue of her recent conquest, and
submit themselves completely to Spanish
sovereignty. Provision Is made for flying
the Spanish flag, end for the sultan and
his dattoS receiving proper titles from the
Spanish sovereign. and accepting annual
salaries. 1t is true that the sultan was al
lowed to collect certain taxes and customs
dues to help sustain his dignity and rank,
but at this time these taxes and dues were
merely nominal. and subsequently the sui
tan was completely deprived of them. A
garrison was established In the JOlO archf-
pelago. which was probably ample, when 1t
Is considered how small territory the
sultan occupies.
This recognition of Spanish sovereignty
was repeated in subsequent treaty en-
tered into in 1873. In 1885. In a protocol
entered into between England, Germany
and Spain, the sovereignty of Spain in the
Jolo archipelago was recognized by these
nations
Conditions Confronting Americans.
The actual conditions at the time of the
ratification of the treaty of peace may be
Summarized as follows: The sultan In the
clearest terms and repeatedly had recog
nized Spain's sovereignty in written treat
les This recognition was accompanied on
the part of the sultan by outward evidences
of submission such as flying the Spanish
flag and stipulations not to erect fortth-
cations. In 1882 a regiment of regular
troops was stationed in the archipelago.
Customs houses had been established and
dues collected by Spanish customs officers.
in spite of provision in the treaty of
1873 allowing the sultan to collect dues at
unoccupied ports Spain had taken steps to
close every port in the Jolo archipelago
except those at which Spanish customs Of
fectual all her treaty obligations with other
nations and depriving the sultan Of that
right. In 1877 by public decree, Spain ex-
empted the residents of the archipelago
from the payment of taxes for the period
of ten years, and this exemption in 1887
was extended for another similar period.
There is nothing in the treaty stipulations
to suggest that the sultans position was
anything more than that of a subordinate,
although for political reasons he was al
lowed to collect and appropriate certain
local taxes and to exercise certain rights,
such as the signing of passports, none of
which was inconsistent with the recognition
of sovereignty and. mentioned in the
treaty. appear In the light Of grants of
authority from the sovereign.
In the agreement negotiated by the
United States military authorities with the
sultan the sovereignty of the United States
IS acknowledged and provision Is made for
the use of the United States flag and for
the occupancy and control by the United
States of such points in the archipelago as
public interests may demand, and the sui
tan agrees to accept monthly salaries for
himself and dattos. The stenographic re-
port of the conferences at which this agree
ment was negotiated leaves no doubt that
the sultan thoroughly understands that the
felations fixed by this agreement as be-
tween the sultanate and the United States
government involve unqualified recognition
Of the sovereignty Of the latter over the
territory Of the Jolo archipelago.
This preliminary statement Is made for
ehe purpose of indicating the general view
which has governed in the decision Of such
administrative questions as have arisen
Curing the past year, OF which the follow
ing are examples:
Forestry Regulations Violated.
1t was brought to the attention Of this
office by the forestry bureau that the Sui
tan Of Jolo had granted concession to
commercial corporation to cut timber on
Islands Of that archipelago, and that con-
siderable work was being done by the con-
cessioner, the timber being exported to
Hong Kong by way OF the port of Jolo, ex-
cept small amount which came to Manila
end on which the usual forestry dues were
imposed. The expectations by way of Jolo
were reported to the forestry bureau by
the collector of customs of the islands and
Che matter submitted to the office Of said
bureau, inviting attention to the fact that
large quantities OF timber had been cut
on the public lands In the Jolo archipelago
for expectation without compliance with
the forestry regulations.
The material points upon which the de-
termination of the question rested were %
the ownership of the land upon which the
timber was cut, whether belonging to the
government, the Sultan of Jolo or his SUBJ
aects. to private individuals not sub
3ects to the sultan: 90 IL the concessioner
had cut timber on the land of private indi-
yiduals, was II with the consent Of the
owners? and CD If the timber In question
was cut and marketed exclusively by Moros
from public lands belonging to the govern
ment of the United States.
By direction of the military governor the
subject was investigated and reported upon
by the commanding general of the depart
ment of Mindanao and Jolo and the repre-
sentative Of the concesSioner was heard as
p the merits of his claims, his contention
appearing TO be that the lands from which
the timber had been cut and also all those
covered by the concession referred to were
the property OF the sultan. within whose
powers lay the disposal OF such a grant
without reference TO the officials of the
United States military government in this
archipelago.
An investigation Of the status OF the pub
He lands In the Jolo Islands was made
covering the period of Spanish rule as
Men that of United States control The
custcms and tacitly recognized rights of
the sultan and his people In respect of the
matter in question under the Spanish gov
frnment were ascertained far as posi-
BILE and given due consideration
1t was discovered that the cutting Of tim
per had been on public lands or at least
pm lands which, IL claimed by individuals
pr corporations had not been registered
as such In conformity with the forestry
regulations, and that the operations had
not been exclusively carried on by Moros
Under date of November II. 1900, the con-
cessioner was advised that the military
government did not recognize the validity