The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-15
TEACHING THE FILIPIN0S.
The Most Interesting Aspect of Our
Colonial Experiment..

The Most Interesting Aspect OF Our
Colonial Experiment.
Washington Letter in New York Evening
Post.
Officers of the War Department continue
to watch with the greatest interest the edu-
cational experiment in the Philippine
islands. 1t is, in fact, the aspect of our
occupation there which is attracting most
comment among Europeans, and particular
ly among students Of colonial governments
The teachers, moreover. are exerting 4
great deal of influence upon home opinion
by personal correspondence with their old
friends. much OF which is copied into the
newspapers and otherwise affects local
sentiment.
Unfortunately, every teacher who has a
particularly hard place in the islands or
" no is not making a success OF his wo-k
or as War Department officers hint, is not
getting an increase of salary Immediately
rusheS into print with a sensational letter.
| Teachers who are keeping at their work
with heroic fortitude remain quiet 1t is an
example Of the murmuring shadows and the
Silent deeps In many cases that have come
TO the attention of the authorities here. III
is also notable that the second impression
OF the Philippine teachers is more favorable
than the first One case is recalled OF
young man who wrote home such gloomy.
discouraging letters, rejecting his first i'm
preSSl0nS, that his parents endeaVOred 10 Sc
cure orders for his transfer to a more de-
sirabie post. The general superintendent
OF education in the islands, DR.. Atkinson,
reported that il would be better for the
young man 10 wait a little while, adding
that IL at the end OF few months ne sun
desired a transfer the request would be
needed. The young man has recently writ
ten 20 his family that he has no desire 10
change his post and regrets that so much
emphasis has been placed upon his first
unfavorable impressions. He happens to be
In one of the stations where the climate is
cool and the cost of living low. One
months pay supports him for three, only
he has to go into Manila for most OF his
provisions.
The question of the safety of the teachers
has recently been aired by Representative
Weeks, of Michigan, who visited the islands
last summer. 1t seems that the $50 Ameri-
can teachers of whom go are women, have
been assigned to about $50 towns. OF these
perhaps one-half are garrisoned. No Amer
leans in the Philippines are in position
of SO much security. to say nothing or the
friendliness of the native population to
them on account of their occupation. At
the same time the area into which II
teachers is considerably larger than the
''unsubdued" tracts indicated on the map
recently published by Talcott Williams.
The area inaccessible to English instruc-
ticn includes Mindoro, Samar, the interior
of Bohol, the barrios of Batangas and sew
eral small islands. The question of the
SAFETY Oh I6dCneIS mas not arisen pIdCll-
cally in the islands, even though it has
occurred to Mr.. Weeks and other traV-
elers. No town has been given a teacher
| unless it has been vouched for safe,
| loyal and DESTROYS Of having one.
At the same time, most of these towns,
$50 in number, may correctly be described
as ''out- -the-way places" The general
| atmosphere is of that sort 1t is very diff
cult to get news from the United States
and communication of all sorts is slow and
| expensive Some teachers complain be-
| cause they are obliged to give instruction
in primary school subjects TO half-civiliZed
| children. 1t may be well wondered what
| they expected to find. The trouble arising
| from the difference in coinage standards is
| perhaps the greatest source of discomfort.
| Civil employees of every sort who expected
| to receive their salaries i'm gold. justly
complain when paid in Mexican" or by
| the silver standard. II is expected that
| this defect in the pay system will soon be
| remedied.