The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-27
GOV. TAFT'S VIEWS
PHILIPPINE SITUATION NOT A
HOPELESS ONE.
OUTLOOK PROMISING, HE SAYS
FACTS OF SITUATION NOT BEING
CONCEALED.

The Concentration Camps Much Mis-
understOOd-The Hong Kong jun
tn Now the Backbone of the OPP
pOsitiOn-Nntives Rapidly DeveI-
Oping an Affection for Our Insti-
tutions-Parish schools and All
other Aids to Education Are Fuv-
Ored.
Chicago, Jan. 26.-Gov. w. II. Taft
arrived here to-day on his way to Gin
cinnati, where he will spend several
days before proceeding to Washing
ton. In answer to inquiries. he said
"The only answer 1 have to make to
the ideas of individual observers which
declare the true condition in the Phil
ippines has been concealed, or that we
are hugging delusions of peace that
can never be brought about, is that the
government is concealing nothing, and
that its conclusions are not based on
wild theories. but substantial facts
This was the reply Gov. Taft made
to statement published by Stephen
Bonsal, declaring that desperate oppo.
sition was still being encountered in the
field,and that the natives are irrecon-
cilable and better organized than be-
fore the capture of Aguinaldo.
Governor Taft said that although
there was a time when, for military
reasons, II had not been advisable to
make public everything occurring in
the Philippines, the necessity for such
secrecy is over, and that no effort is
now being made to conceal any part Of
the truth from the people of this coun-
try.
las a matter of fact" he added "the
embers of dlstrust are being kept alive
by sensationalists who seize on every
point and seek to twist it into some
horrible barbarity of our government
in the islands. Take, for instance, the
talk about concentration camps. AL
though l am not sufficiently well ac-
quainted with the full military plans to
speak with absolute authority, / can
say that the whole subject is much
misunderstood by our people
AS a matter of fact there has never
been any thought of establishing con-
centration camps in the ordinary ac-
ceptation of the term. All that has
been proposed is an insurgent Gordon,
the establishment of a dead line into
which will gradually be drawn all the
remnants of insurrection that exist
"The non-combatants on the islands
have never, even at the hardest period
of the war, received anything but the
utmost kindness and consideration at
our hands, and IL is hardly probable
that this policy will be reversed now
that the opposition is fast drawing to
a close"
The Governor believes that the only
ity of the United States is
being formented by the men
who form the Hong Kong junta, most
of whom were formerly residents of
the rich coffee-growing province of Ba-
tangas.
1T is in this province" he went On,
that we are now meeting with our
only difficulty. The natives are rapidly
developing an affection for our institu-
tions, and a large number of former
insurgents have become valuable men,
bers of the community fully worthy of
any trust that may be reposed in them.
The coming elections will develop the
real progress in this direction, and
am certain that the result will be graf
flying.
THE restrictions placed on the priv
ilege of ballot are principally of an edu-
cational character, fact that will of
course, cut out numbers of Filipinos.
But this is a condition that will be bet
tered rapidly. The progress of educa-
tion is satisfactory, and our policy in
this direction is liberal.
mo obstacle Of any character is put
in the way of the parish schools; in
deed, 1t is now generally understood
throughout the islands that the gov
ernment will eagerly welcome the es-
tabllshment of additional institutions
of this character, as long as they con-
form to the educational standard de-
manded in our public schools, and in
struct pupils in the English language.
1t is utterly immaterial to us what
the character of the school is, all fac
tors that will aid in the work of edu,
cation are welcomed"
Governor Taft refuses to discuss the
future of Aguinaldo. He says that the
deposed leaders, fate is in the hands
of the military branch of the service
entirely. and that the civil arm has the
responsibility of neither his custody nor
his behavior.