The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-05-15
CONVERTED
IN PRISON
Buencamino Read
Constitution
in Cell.
NOT READY FOR
INDEPENDENCE
Distinguished Visitor Says indie
pendent Philippines Would Be
at Mercy OF Powers.

Don Felipe Buencamino. the former
Secretary OF War in Aguinaldo's cabi-
net and his principal adviser. declares
that the Philippines are safer in the
hands and under the protection of the
United States than If they were an in
dependent nation.
The Philippines are so situated with
reference to outside nations as to re-
semble the hub OF a wheel" said he
yesterday. through an interpreter. IF
the Philippines were now an independ-
ent nation. the missionaries would flock
into the country. There would surely
come trouble between the natives and
| the missionaries through scme cause or
another. n missionary would be knitted
and soon n man-of-war would steam
into Manila bay to demand reparation.
From another island the news would
come probably that a missionary there
had also been killed. and the warship
of another nation would soon be in the
harbor. pointing its guns at the city.
and another demand would follow.
Would there be any safety to the ma
| ton with the powers encircling Ii with
their guns and demanding a portion Of
| the Islands? No. We are a nation OF
about 10000. 000-too small to be strong
against the powers.
Il believe that our safety lies in the
protection given us by the American
1 IL
ed there will be no nations to send
their war-vessels to the archipelago.
To the contrary. IL any question arises
concerning its welfare, IL will be set
tied at Washington. When the Phil
ippines have a population OF 30.OOO.OOO
or more. then IL may be time for us To
think of being free and independent.
with our own government established.
THE prosperity OF the Philippines
demands that peace come soon. 1 have
couuseled many of the chiefs in the
field to surrender. and General Malvar
was the last to have taken advantage
OF my suggestion.
The statements about General
Smith and other officers that their
methods are cruel have come mostly
through the Democracia, of Manila.
which Is opposed to American rule. and
Is not to be relied upon. General Smith
will be n free and exonerated man
when the trial Is ended.
LAS to- Aguinaldo. / believe him to be
a great man. and the greatest soldier
uf the age. He Is remarkable man.
Aguinaldo Is not a rich man as has
geferally been supposed. / do not be-
lieve he Is worth more han $4,000. He
has always had what he wanted when
he was in power and afterwards, but
he owns very little of the worlds
goods. But he will never suffer want
for he has the love OF the Filipino peo-
pie.
las for myself. my conversion to
America came while | was In prison.
/ endeavored to learn the English Ian
guage and in this way the constitution
OF the United States was brought 10 my
attention. II was explained to me and
finally came to believe IL to- be the
greatest saving power OF the Philip
pines. / went over IL carefully time
and again. and finally explained IL to
my people"
Senior Buencamino was greatly in
terested in all that he saw at the Ho-
nolulu Plantation on the occasion Of
particularly impressed with the steam
pillow. as was also Sixto Lopez when he
was here last year. He was surprised
to learn that some OF the mill machin-
cry had been made in Honolulu. He
stated at the plantation that the
Philippine cane is sweeter than the
Hawaiian product. that the ground
there is also very rich, but that the
people were far behind in the develop
ment OF the sugar industry, both as to
methods and machinery.
While passing Hon. :. NJ. Damon's
country place at Moanalua. the distin-
guished Filipino stated that his rice
plantations wefe about as large as Mr..
nourishing condition
As TO Sixto Lopez. Senior Buencamino
said they were quite friendly but OPP
posed politically.
The name. Buencamino. when trans
lated into English. means Good
Roads" a wag suggests that Senior
Buencamino should be elected to men,
bership to the League of American
Wheelmen and other good roads asso-