New-York tribune., 1902-04-12
GEN. MACARTHUR's STORY
HE TELLS HOW THE PHILIPPINE WAR
BEGAN
OPMENT-MANY QUESTIONS BY DEMO-
CRATIC SENATORS

Washington, April 11.-Wheu General Mac.
Arthur resumed his testimony before the Sem
ate Committee on the Philippines to-day Senator
Dubois asked a number of questions concerning
the efficiency of Philippine labor. The general
said there We're about four hundred natives en-
ployed in a certain corral in Manila and that
for this work they received SO in gold a month,
while Americans received $40. The Fpinos
were efficient in this work. and while their paw
was entirely out of proportion to that received
by the Americans it was so much more than
they had been in the habit of receiving that they
We're spurred to unusual efforts He expressed
the opinion that the natives would be equal To
the task of cultivatins the agricultural lands
IL sufficiently paid for their services Still Ii
was possible that this labor might not be equal
to the demands of American and European
exploiters. He repeated his conviction that ir
Is not desirable to exploit the islands unduly
and If this were to be done excessive wages
would be necessary to secure results
Replying to Senator Patterson General Mac
arthur said there were few factories in the
islands. but he believed the Fipinos were
capable of development as artisans They are
successful, he said. wherever deftness of toucn
is necessary They are of artistic tempera
nent. and will take high rank as artists They
are full Of romance and poetry and will gener-
there Is scarcely a Filipino that is not a mu-
sican. There is. in brief no question Of the
power of the Fipnos as a people to reach a
high standard of development in any direction"
Replying to further questions from Mr. Pat
tersOn. General Macarthur told of the situation
! at Manila when he arrived there in July. 1893
i At that time the natives were besieging the
! Spaniards in the city in connection with few
American troops. The state of amity between
the two forces good. and the Filipinos evil
i IDENTIFY regarded the Americans in the light OF
/ deliverers. He said. however. that there had
i not been voluntary cooperation with the Fill
pinos on the part Of the Americans, and no sub
ordinate officer had right to commit General
Merritt to such cooperation.
Senator Patterson asked General Macarthur
whether. in February. 1899. he had given orders
/ to his sentinels on duty near blOckhouse No. {.
i near Manila to shoot and kill any Filipino
crossing the line TO which the reply was: "I
I did net give specific orders TO that effect on
| that occasion. any sentinel on his general
! ortiers would first command an intruder three
times to halt, and then shoot II he did not halt
/ Even in connection with own people that
! il an established tenet Of military duty but
! would have given the order any minute Of the
day II IT had been necessary. our men on the
line had submitted TO many indignties from
| the Filipinos that the sentinels must have known
! that any one attempting 10 pass the line was
I doing so with hostile intent.
I The general also answered number OF ques-
| ti1ns relating to the firing by the American
| sentineis on Filipino patrol Of four men on
/ February 4. 1899 when the first battle with the
! FTiipfDos began This, he said. would have been
! justified under the circumstances II there bad
f, been no order whatever TO halt. He insisted
that the battle began that night, and when he
was asked whether any effort had been made
to ascertain IL former friendly relations could
I not he resumed he replied that such effort would
! have been impossible after the beginning or the
! conflict He had no positive personal knowl-
edge Of the casualties on the night OF me ftn.
/ but on the next morning he ordered an advance
! Of the American forces.
! With the result remarked Senator Pat,er-
! sor "tha1 three thousand Filipinos were hiled
| or wounded.
| Fortunately with the result" the witness re-
| piled. that great victory was won oy tns
| American army.
| The committee adjourned until tomorrow. !