The National tribune., 1902-06-26

upon IN uS appilcdtlon. camps anu -
racks are thoroughly inspected by the
Officers of The Day and the Surgeons
daily, to see that they are pollced-l
military expression for cleaned up-and
all sinks and closets in good condition ana.
disinfected. Nothing is considered OF
more Importance than this. and neglect
in these matters is severely punished.
This is the American method The Span
ish army apparently paid no attention 10
the matter of camp cleanliness and ny
giene. The barracks into which our re@l-
ment marched the morning after the sur
render were filthy to the last degree Inc
closets were clogged up and the sewers
did not flow. Sewer gas rose deadly from
omen drains and vents. The ground was
alive with maggots, owing to the custom
of the Spanish soldiers throwing all rem
nants of their food upon the ground.
Around the kitchens was sprlngy, crawl
ing mass of corruption. and the cafrloh
flies swarmed in millions. Fortunately
the first day some 30 Filipino prisoners
were turned over TO us. men arrested by
the police for crime, whom we were OF
dered to guard until their status cou!d he
inquired into An energetic Provost-Ser-
geant was appointed, and these prisoners
were set to work. In few days we mao
n barracks so clean that it would have
made Spanish soldier sick to go INTO IL.
THE TERRIBLE MoRGS.
An amusing incident occurred with rel
erence to these prisoners. The Ofhcer OIL
the Guard reported to me one morning.
the very first after they came INTO our
possession. | being the Officer of the Day
to whom they We're first given after dark
the night before, that two OF the PRISONERS
were. in his Judgment, women dressed as
men, and asked me what to do. AS we
did not then know how long we were TO
keen them nor what was to be done Win
them. / contented myself with super
fetal view of the prisoners suspected Oh
masquerading and gained the same IN
preston as the others. There were Two
who were smaller and of entirely less
masculine countenance than the re-
mainder of the crowd and their HAIR was
longer and did not have the ponpadouf
cut of the Filipino male. However, l
contented myself with verbal report OF
the suspicion to the Colonel when report
ing off duty, and ne instructed the new
Officer of the Day TO make an lnyesuEa-
ton. This modest official called IN the
services of the Regimental Surgeon, and
after a consultation it was determined 10
settle the matter. 1t was settled, but no
official report was ever made. L learned
from my muchacho (boy servant, that
these two were Moros from the Island
of Mindinao, very desperate and danger
Gus men. / had heard more or less about
the savage and wariike Moros, Mahome-
tans by religion, and headhunters by Gus
tom, and terrible fighters by reputation
but these two puny specimens did not I'M
press me very strongly.
What the Moros are we have had an
opportunity somewhat to learn since then,
and while they are not the terrible saw
ages the Tagals and Spaniards would
have had us believe, they are warlIke, and
because of fatalism in their religion bet
ter and more determined fighters than the
Tagals. They constitute Il problem for
the United States that must be solved
with due allowance being made in the
solution for the fact of their being Ma
hometans.
Fanatics in this country have already
begun to howl about the form of domestic
slavery of these Mahometan tribes and to
accuse the Government of supporting and
encouraging slavery contrary to the Con
stitution. Unless we want to perpetuate
strife in the Philippines it will be ncces.
sary to turn a deaf ear to such impracti-
cable theorists and deal with the MorOs,
as with all the other diverse and to a
degree hostile tribes in the archipelago
upon the basis of the actual conditions eX.
listing. Just now the Moros are friendly
to us and accept our control within the
limits of our not interfering with theiI
immemOrial customs and their religion
They are expanding their warlike enthu
siasm and energy in fighting each other
We would be foolish to turn it against
ourselves TO no practical end.
FANcIED TROUBLE AMONG THE GUARDS.
The second night, being on duty, wa.
informed by the Officer of the Guard thai
word had been received of trouble at Tho
police station, whittier we had sent a de
tail to aid the Guardia Civil TO patrol the
city. l went over and found that tn,
Corporal of the relief that had come IF
duty at il O'Clock was suspicious of tho
native policemen, and had refused to Oc
cupy the quarters assigned him. This
was an inner room used as sleeping quar-
tiers. Instead of going in there with his
squad and taking the places made vacant
by those just gone on duty, he insisted
upon quartering them i'll the main Office
b front of the entrance, much to the an
noyance of the officer in command Of thu
Guardia Civil. When | arrived the office
complained OF the conduct of the Cor
poral, and l asked the latter what wa.
the matter, and why he did not Occup!
the regular sleeping quarters. He sal,
he believed the natives were trying t.
get his men in there and away from thei
guns in the rack and then would murde
them. This was too absurd for patience
and the idea found lodgment in his braiI
because he had not learned to speak an!
Spanish, like most of the men, and ha,
not learned the difference between Maca
bebes and Tagals.
However, l recognized the fact tina
there was a condition of mind as well Il
of fact TO deal with. and that he had in
pregnated some of the men with his sus
picions, so | explained matters to hI
somewhat, and then ordered him to TAX
his squad into the inner room to sleeI
but to take their guns with them instea
Of leaving them in the outer room. Thi
seemed to be perfectly satisfactory TO tn
men, but | understood that the Corpori
was not convinced OF the absence c
treachery on the part of the native polio,
men, and that he mounted guard over hi
squad the remainder of the night, thu
saving their lives in spite of the ear,
lessness Of a too-confding officer
The next day two members of the guar
accompanied one of the Guardia Civil (
the outskirts of the city ostensibly I
make an arrest, but actually, as it turne
out, to get possession of a girl he wante
to marry and bring her into the city. III
Insurgents set upon him and il was onl
with the greatest difficulty and the c,
hibition of a great deal of nerve that L.
guard saved him and themselves. Fo
tunately one of them could speak SPANS
little, and was thus enabled to unde
stand what was the matter and as we
to tell them what the Americans wou
do to them If they harmed either Il
Guardia Civil man or themselves.
This, with n free demonstration of
determination to use their weapons
necessary, enabled them to bring The