Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-08-29
CHARGES NOT SUSTAINED.
School System of Philippines Not
Used as Medium of Attack
on Catholicism.
REPORT OF MR.. BOWEN MADE PUBLIC.
The Superintendent Of Public Instruc-
ton for the Islands After Careful
Investigation Makes n General and
Specific Denial of All the Charges
Mnde-Substance Of Report.

Washington, Aug. 25.-The bureau
of insular affairs of the war depart
ment has made public the report of
Frank III. Bowen, acting general super
intendent of public instruction for the
Philippine islands, upon charges made
in the United States against the school
system of the islands alleging that it
was used as a PROSECUTING agency
against Catholics and generally used
to the prejudice of Catholicism. These
charges were forwarded to Manila and
the reply was made to acting Gov.
Wright. The report of Superintendent
Bowen is dated July Z, and is a general
and specific denial of the charges. He
says that of 90 persons who have been
division superintendents only one has
ever been a clergyman. Three division
superintendent were appointed from
list submitted by leaders of the
Roman Catholic church in the United
States.
How Selections Are Made.
In this connection the report says:
THE question of the religious belief of
applicants and appointees was never con-
sidered until late in 1901 AT that time a
special lot of applications, gathered by the
authorities of the Roman Catholic church
in the United States, was sent to the civil
governor of these islands and transmit
ted to the general superintendent. From
these special lists three division superin-
tendents anGi % teachers We're appointed.
In reporting these appointments to the civil
governor the general superintendent
stated: L have had much difficulty in
finding people in this lot of applications
who are possessed of the educational pre-
paration and teaching experience which is
| required of other appointees in this depart
ment Those who have not been selected
seem to be wholly unsuitable
The only departure from strict nom
sectarianism in the conduct of the
schools was provision of the Philip
pine commission, which made it law
full for priest or minister of any es-
tablished church in the Pueblo where
| q public school is situated to teach re-
| ligion for one-half hour three times a
week in the school building to pupils
whose parents have expressed wish
| for such instruction.
No Proselyting.
Concerning PROSECUTING the report
says:
mot only is no PROSECUTING allowed or
| attempted in any of the public schools, but
| inquiry of the leaders of the four principal
| Protestant denominations here brings out
| the fact that so far as is known by these
| leaders, there is not one native Protestant
Sunday school teacher In the entire archi-
| pelago. The statement that not one-third
| of the Protestant teachers ever taught a
| day before going to the Philippines and
| that the Catholic teachers are sent on to
| the distant provinces Is emphatically de-
| nied'
No Distribution of Bibles.
The assertion is made that the edu.
cational department has no knowledge
of distribution of Bibles in a private
church school by missionaries. 1t is
| also stated that the conditions of the
| public schools in the Philippines do
| not warrant the statement that they
| are worse in the islands, as viewed
| from Catholic standpoint, than in the
| United States.
| fenom0us Attack Denounced.
The report closes with the follow
| ing:
1.-The venomous attack on the Philippine
commission and especially the Filipino
members thereof who are termed traitors
and rascals serves to show the degree OF
| bitterness and recklessness of statement
,;nl. IL, IT. l..