The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24
NO STATEMENT TRUE
CHARGES OF PROSECUTING DE-
NOUNCED AS FALSE.
BOWEN ENTERS A DENIAL.
SUPERINTENDENT OF PHILIPPINE
SCHOOLS ANSWERS HIS CRITICS.

Out of Twenty Division superin-
tendents Only One Has Even Been
n CIergyman-Three of Twenty
Nominees of Catholic Church.
only Departure From Non-Sectari-
nnism a Provision Permitting Re-
Iigious Instruction in school
buildings When Parents So Re-
ouested-''Not One Material State
ment Is True"
Washington. Aug. 23.-The Bureau
of Insular Affairs of the War Depart
,nent has made public the report of
Frank H. Bowen, acting general su-
perintendent of public instruction for
the Philippine Islands, upon charges
made in the United States against the
school system of the islands, alleging
that it was used as PROSECUTING
agency against Catholics and general
ly used to the prejudice of Catholic
ism.
These charges We're forwarded to
Manila and the reply was made to
Acting Governor Wright The report
July Z and is a general and specific
denial of the charges. He says that of
twenty persons who have been divi-
sion superintendents, only one has
ever been a clergyman. Three divi-
sion superintendents were appointed
from a list submitted by leaders of the
Roman Catholic Church in the United
States. In this connection the report
says:
Catholic Nominees Appointed.
THE question of the religious belief
of applicants and appointees Eyas never
considered until late in 1901. At that
time a special lot of applications, gath
cred by the authorities of the Roman
Catholic Church in the United States
was sent to the civil governor of these
islands and transmitted to the general
superintendent. From these special
lists three division superintendent and
twenty-five teachers were appointed.
In reporting these appointments to
the civil governor, the general super
tntendent stated:
g I have had much difficulty in find
ing people in this lot of applications
who are possessed of the educational
preparation and teaching experience
which is required of other appointees
in this department. Those who have
not been selected seem to be wholly
unsuitable.
Allowed to Teach Religion.
The only departure from strict nom
sectarianism in the conduct of. the
schools was a provision of the Philip
pine Commission, which made it law
full for a priest or minister of any
established church in the pueblo
where a public school is situated to
teach religion for one-half hour three
times week, in the school building,
to pupils whose parents have express
ed a wish for such instruction.
Concerning PROSECUTING, the report
says:
mot only is no PROSECUTING allowed
or attempted in any of the public
schools, but inquiry of the leaders of
the four principal denominations here
brings out the fact that so far as is
known by these leaders, there is not
one native Protestant Sunday-school
teacher in the entire archipelago"
The statement that not one-third of
the Protestant teachers ever taught a
day before going to the Philippines,
and that the Catholic teachers are sent
into the distant provinces is emphati-
cally denied.
The assertion is made that the edu-
rational department has no knowledge
OF distribution of Bibles in private
church school by missionaries. 1t is
also stated that the conditions of the
pubic schools in the Philippines do not
warrant the statement that they are
worse in the islands, as viewed from
Catholic standpoint, than in the
United States.
Inc report closes with the following:
The venomous attack on the Phil
lpplne Commission, and especially the
Flhpino members thereof, who are
termed traitors and rascals, serves to
snow the degree of bitterness and reck-
lessness of statement which charac-
terlze the whole article The negotia-
uons at present under way in Rome in
regard to the church lands in these ISL
Shds, are sufficient refutation of the
last wild statement of this extraord-
nary production. in which not one ma
terlal statement is true"