The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-09
YEARN FOR LIBERTY
MACARTHUR TELLS or THE
 PHILIPPINE NATIVES.
The General Declares the Archipelago to be the Finest Group of Islands in the Worid-Economic
 Questions.


 Washington. April s.--Gencral MacAr. thur today continued his testimony con corning conditions in the Philippine ar- chipeiago before the Senate Committee on the Philippines His discussion at the beginning of the session was devoted to a review of the conol,ions which led up to the present state of mind of the Filipino people. ...'
 He said that long before the advent of the Americans. the germs of democ- racy had been planted. and that these had originated by the agitation in Spain of century ago, which had been re- fected in the Spanish colonies.
 He also described the conditions in the archipelago at the time of the American occupation. saying that at that me the filiplnos were in vindictive aud re- sentf,Il mood toward Spain. with q gener- al yearning for liberty. Taking these con- ditions into consideration he had ieit that there was to oe found the most fertile soil for the planting of the best type of republican institutions.
 general Macarthur then took up and discussed economic conditions i'll the ar chipelago, saying that they are the hnest group of islands in the world. occupying a strategic position absolutely unequaled. Continuing, he said that the archipelago must necessarily exert an active and po- tential influence upon affairs of the en- tire East in both d political and military way. The China Sea. only ioo miles wld. he declared a safety moat. The islands would therefore stand to protect our ih- terests in the Orient without the eXers ton of much physical power on our part. Hence he concluded. that our presence in the Philippines will always insure all the protection we need In the East. Inelr position is such. he said. that rom these islands we may observe whatever passes along the coast of Ahia as 1t passes un- der the shadow of our flag. He therefore concluded that The permanent posses sion of the Philipine archipelago is not tttf hEn Iutely essential to American interests.
 He believed. he added, that when the Philippine peoples come to realize the mission of the American people among them they would cheerfully follow and support the American flag.
 General MacArthur grew eloquent in de- scribing the mission of the Americans. Our presence in the islands. he said. was. to his mind. process of spontaneous ev- olution and added that he believed the permanent occupation was necessary consequence the logical sequence Of our national prosperity and, he added that to doubt this Is to doubt the wisdom or our institutions. We should. he went on. regard ourselves as a people as the GUS todians of an imperishable idea held in trust for mankind and we should pro claim this message to the world lie also expressed the opinion that the Filipinos could be rapidly organized into political bodies and said that they were eager to secure educational facilities. He said that because of his opinion that the Philippines ford splendid opportunities for the dis. seminatfon of American ideas, he had decided when he assumed command at Manila to conduct military operations with drastic hand while he at the same time tried to give the most enlightened ci il government whoever opportunity ol- fered
 Concerning the conduct of the war in the Philippines he said that while it was war. he doubted whether. if any war oi modern time had been conducted with as much humanity and self restraint as thls war had been.
 Senator Lodge asked number of ques' tions bearing upon the reports of cruel | ties by American soldiers to when the | witness replied that while there douotless 1 had been instances of excesses. the gen | eral conduct on the part of our troops | had been of all opposite character. More | over, all violations of the rules Of wal l had been instantly punished.
 Replying to Senator Carmack, he saif that the Filipinos like our American
 ideas of personal liberty as embodied II l our institutions
 This he said. realizes an ideal o "Then they have an ideal?" interject The reply was, "They have most decid edly."
 miserable. corrupt, cruel and degrade' racer"
 By no means. Such view is to m! mind d mistaken one.
 Senator Carmack also asked about thu | combinations of the material resources o | the islands and General MacArthur re- | piled that one of the great apprehension l of the people was that they might b' 1 depriyed of these resources and thus rel | egated to a position of social inferiorit! i in the islands On this point he said the. | were very sensitive. They did not. h. 1 said, care so much for thedr treatmen | outside the islands, but were very paruc 1 ular on the point of social equality Whei | in their own country. | In reply to question from senator Cu' berson. General Macarthur declined to Tn ] stitute a comparison between the Ell | pinos and the American negro. Ihe fll l pinos are pretty good people, he said on | i have never had occasion 10 cornpdr
 them with other people. and don't wan | to attempt such comparison "hic' | might be unjust to hoth. | Do you think" Senator Carmaek ask
 cd. that the Filipinos ought to have | voice in their government affairs, wncr l they have to do with franchises and con
 That question is somewhat hypotheti
 cal" replier General MacArthur. We ar l approximatng that condition now; | would, however, like to see the Filipino pretty well represented in their centra | government and 1 should llKe 10 see tn question of franchises. except TOT rall ! roads, held in abeyance until the eFoiu tion proceeds further. | The committee adjourned until lhurs
 day.