The Iola register., 1902-01-17
MORE SOLDIERS NEEDED
Funston Says the Situation there is a
Problem and Will Take Time
to Settle

about commenting on the situation In
the Philippines, but this morning he
agreed to outline the result of his
careful study of the conditions there.
He said:
"The situation in the Philippines is
a knotty problem. 1t is one for the
great minds to ponder over, and near
ly every problem that confronts the
nation has two sides. Personally, l
do not think In this generation it will
be possible to bring the natives under
absolute control of civil govern
ment. believe that for years it will
be necessary for the United States
government To maintain a strong mill
tary force on the islands in order to
exert a moral influence on the natives.
For the next two or three years l
think it will be necessary to main.
tain a military force of 10000 men in
the Philippines to keep insurrection
down. After that period has elapsed,
if there are no signs of trouble, think
that force of 10000 men will be
enough to maintain order and prevent
any uprising.
Nearly all of the educated Filipnos,
the progressional men and wealthy
land owners, are political agitators
and schemers of the worst sort. They
would not hesitate to embroil the
Philippines with the United States for
an indefinite period, il by so doing
they could gain their ends and secure
the independence of the islands, there.
by getting control of the various
departments of the government, espec-
tally the finances, in order TO give
themselves an opportunity to steal.
''In my opinion the greatest possible
mistake that could be made by the
United States in dealing with the Fill
pinos would be to give them any form
ofelective legislative assembly com
posed of the people of their own race
A Filipino legislature would merely
leave opportunity for number OF
pestilential legislators to keep the
country stirred up and in a state OF
turmoil by holding out the hope, a
vain hope, of ultimate independence.
"All the officers, in my opinion, ex-
cept municipal and provincial officers,
should be appointed by the Governor
of the islands, instead of being elected
by the people, for the reason that if
the people were allowed to elect their
own officers, agitators and schemers
would be chosen to fill the offices to
the exclusion of the better class of ma
tives.
"The moral influence of troops will
make the Filipinos understand thai
any uprising would be summarill
crushed.
81 believe that SO far as the educa
tion of the Filipino is concerned
proper steps are being taken nov
EMPLOYMENT of American schoo
teachers and introduction Ofthe Amer
lean school system will ultImatel,
have a beneficial effect on the natives
bu l fears that this generation viii
never see the change for the better il
that respect.
"In the opinion of many people whit
understand the labor situation in tn
Philippines the industrial development
OF the country depends upon the intro
duction of Chinese or Japanes
laborers. A white man can not wor
comfortably in that climate. Their
are tens and tens of thousands G
acres of uncultivated lands on tn
islands that are as rich as any in tn
world and there are in the cities ten
of thousands of idle able-bodied me
who will not work more than is al
solutely necessary to keep the wo
from their doors.
Generally speaking, however, tn
conditions in the islands have improN
ed and although drastic measures al
necessary to keep down treachery an
murder, the strong hand of the gov
ernment is being felt.
ut certainly will not be very Ion
before the last of the insurrection
entirely crushed in Samar and Batai
gas. 1t can not, in my judgment,
more than two or three months at II
outside before the natives are COZ
ouered. After that, if we keep fir
hand over the Filipinos, give them
understand that for the present such
thing as native legislative body
out of the question, and rigorous
enforce excellent laws that have bee
passed by the commission and NAL
them fully understand that any ou
break will be stamped with an ire
hand, we will have at least no OPT
war of rebellion in the Philippines