Evening star., 1902-08-23
TAFT BACK IN MANILA
RECEIVES HEARTY WELCOME
FROM THE PEOPLE.
Responding to Address of Welcome,
He Reviews Our Policy To-
ward Islands.

A dispatch from Manila yesterday says:
Civil Gov. Taft reached here this morning
at daylight on board the United States
gunboat General Alava, from Singapore.
Straits Settlement He was welcomed
with enthusiastic demonstration.
The day had been made a holiday and
the city was decorated. Eight large arches
had been erected on the streets. Twenty
thousand natives from adjoining provinces
participated in the demonstration in honor
Of the governors arrival There was a pa
rade of vessels in the bay. and thirty deco
rated craft carrying members of the civil
commission. military officers and the re-
ception committee met the General Alava
down the bay and escorted Gov Taft to
the entrance of the Pasig river. The gov
ernor was escorted by a large procession
to the palace in the walled city, where a
public reception was held.
Responding to an address of welcome
Gov. Taft outlined the progress and the
result of his negotiations at Rome in the
matter of the Philippine friars and said
that all church questions were progressing
toward satisfactory settlement. The gov
ernor said the action taken by Congress
concerning the Philippine Islands showed
that the American people honestly desired
to help the Filipinos- The Americans were
determined the islands should not be
exploited by Americans at the expense
of the Filipinos. Gov. Taft predicted
that eventually the archipelago would have
practically free trade, and he congra tut ated
the Filipino people upon the restoration of
peace. He advised the Filipinos to till the
soil and restore their country rather than
waste time in useless political agitation.
He promised personally to labor for the
natives, and asked for their confidence and
support.
Gov. Taft was given an ovation on the
streets of the city during his progress to
the palace, and he received another ova-
ton at his reception.
Gen. Chafee returned to Manila today
from his tour of the southern islands. He
has not taken decisive action against the
Moros of the Island of Miudanao. He re-
CARDS the situation there as uncertain but
not critical. Gen. Chaffee still hopes that
moral suasion may avert a conflict be-
tween MorOs and Americans, and he has
directed Capt. John J. Pershing of the 18th
Infantry, commander of the American col
umn at Lake Lanao, Mindanao, to open
communication with the Sultan Of Bacol cd
and ascertain the reason for the repeated
attacks by MOr0S upon the American SOL
diers when the latter Were not on the Of
fensive. He will await a reply from the
sultan before taking further steps in the
matter.
At Ibgan Gen, Chaffee conferred with a
number of the Moro chiefs, including some
from the Lake Lanao district. The con-
ference was quite friendly, and the leading
chief agreed to visit Capt. Pershing.
LONDON, August 23-The Times this
morning publishes special article dealing
with the question of Chinese immigration
into the Philippine Islands. The writer Of
the article expresses the belief that if the
United States rigidly excludes Chinese
from the archipelago such a course will
prove a fatal error of judgment because
the instincts of the Americans make it i'm
possible for them to compel the lazy brown
men to work as the Dutch compel the
Malays to labor, and the Filipinos are not
likely to work without compulsion. The
development of the Philippines can only be
effected by means Of an ample and steady
stream of coolie labor. The Americans
will sooner or later discover says the
article, the utter hopelessness Of trans
forming the character Of the natives of the
islands, and they must then decide whether
to suffer the Filipinos to go their own way
and die out in peaceful Incidence, If that
be natures decree, or persevere in a course
foredoomed to failure