New-York tribune., 1901-02-11
PRICE THREE CENTS.
PACIFICATION OF PANAY.
HOW INSURGENT NATIVES OF THAT
PHILIPPINE ISLAND WERE IN
DUCED To TAKE THE OATH
OF ALLEGIANCE.
OF ALLEGIANCE.
fs7 TELEGRAPH TO rAE TRIBUNE. !

BY TELEGRAPH TO rhE TRiBINE-I
Washington. Feb 1O.-The large island ot
Panay. of which Tloilo is the chief port has been
one of the most vexatious hotbeds of insurrec
ton and resistance to the American regimen in
the whole Philippine Archipelago, and the an
nouncement that its pacihcation has now been
practically accomplished was one of the most
gratifying messages received by the War De
partment in the last week The Washington Bt-
reau of The Tribune has lust received from an
officer on duty in Panay an interesting letter.
written Just before Christmas. giving an account
of the achievement. which is one of the alb
sorbing topics throughout the Philippines. es-
pecially as the lead Of Panay is apt to be
promptly followed in other islands He saws in
part:
Most Of the officers on duty throughout the
Fourth District Department of the Vtsayas
have had little sympathy with anything
relating to civil government They believed the
time ripe for it. and that military ad
ministration was all that the circumstances de
manded or justified. Although this spirit was
thoroughly understood az district headquarters.
and fully taken account Of nevertheless the dis
trict commander Colonel Edmund Rice 18th
Infantry, U. 5. Y. insisted on his policy being
carried out of combining much as possible
the civil and the military. Month after month
the work went on, everything possible being
done 70 get the officers interested in the civil
work, and to inform the natives or their privi-
leges and opportunities. Time and time again
elections were ordered TO be held in certain Of
ealeS 10 take the necessary oath OF anestance
10 the United States Government" But de-
spite this many of the prominent men were be-
lhs TAXED 70 and argued with, were being fur
hlsned With seasOnable and instructive Htera-
| ture and no opportunity was allowed 10 pass
for accomplishing the desired object
On October 80 1900 the commanding officer
or the Circle OF Jaro reported That not even the
| three residents necessary to act as election
Judges were obtainabIe' on November 10 the
district commander wrote.
L have the honor 70 request that authority
De given 10 call upon the inhabitants of the
towns OF JarO and MOlO. take the oath Of ale
glance 10 the United States believing that the
time is now ripe for insisting that they should
come out openly. either for or against our Gov
ernment 1t is a matter of common knoyvIadsa
that these two pueblos exercise a large if not
paramount, influence upon the others of this ISL
Of this operation must be far reaching and bene-
ncfal to the carrying out of the general policy OF
the Administration"
WORK OF LIEUTENANT MACGIEGOR
At last Colonel Rfce's aid, Lieutenant G. r. n
MacGiegor. 26tn Infantry whom the District
| Commander had put in charge of civil affairs
last April, cut the GOrdian knot Through act
ing as counsel before military commission in
defence OF some newspaper publishers who were
I charged with publishing seditiouS articles he
won the friendship and esteem of the most clever
and influential clique of the island Of Panay
Ihese were men of wealth. education and travel.
I and called themselves "neutrals'' so far "a ths
/ war was concerned. After the trial the Lieu
| tenant had kept In touch with them, and had
make them 'prO-American-' 1t is well to make IL
PLAIN what this neutrality or apparent apathy
meant
/ Almost everywhere on the island American
| oT1eers and soldiers were met with smiling faces
/ profound obeisances and the utmost Difference
! But when anything is asked to be done in the
nature OF cooperating with the Americans. or
/ that might be regarded in the least BIT com
/ promising 70 their own absolute independence
/ the natives became as cold as basilisks. Their
heads had been turned bv fulsome rhetoric by
ambitious projects for power. and moreover
they were IN mortal fear of assassination by
quentin Sails and his minions if they recedsd
one step from tce prescribed neutral status The
oIhcers OF the 10Th Infantry had tOiIed unrernit-
tnSIy 10 bTlug about peace and prosperity on
the island. They had waged wars hravelv AMI
WELL bur not reIentleSsIy and ruthIessIv Thev
mad earnestly toiIed 70 build up rather than de-
stIoy, Yet despite The improved conditions the
remarkable lowering of the death rate. the al
most total eradication on smallpox and the in
creased cleanliness, beauty. prosperity and peace
or the various towns. these men had held aloof:
and though appreciative OF improved conditions
and better methods had elung sullenly 10 their
pretudices and their cause 1t was more than
provoking, and patience had almost ceased to be
! d virtue.
But on November % last ApoTIonio LA rasr,s
one OF the clique, decided TO take the oath He
said he had thoroughly CanvasseI Jaro and
asked that TO all the people OF that district
might be given an opportunity 70 take the oath
en- the day following lie Desma and Villalobos
We're then duly sworn. and on the following day
hundreds OF JarO citizens Of all classes surged
about Post Headquarters endeavoring to swear
allegiance. Two days later Molo followed suit
and the oaths there quickly ran into the thou
sands Colonel Rice teIegraphed all over the
island, announcing that the ice had been broken
and that Jaro and NTolo had fallen into line One
month later. on December II. the record of
oaths taken in Pauay was as follows:
Jaro, 1919; MOo. $50; Pototam. 2.4S9; Caba-
tuaI, 16s2; Leon, 1888, Tigbauan. 452; Otou
221; Cordovas. 277; San Miguel. LII; Alimodial
31IO; Mandurriao. 500; Miagao. 5O7; Cuimbal'
112; Igbaras, 169. San Joaquin, S5; Lapaz. $40.
Total 2a.sS4