The Washington times., 1902-03-13
Better Class Anxious to
Learn English Tongue.
VIEWS OF PROF. BARRoWs.
eral Policy Is Necessay-Northern
Luzon Reconciled to American Control
in Islands.


Senate Committee on the Philippines yes
| terday in the person OF Mr.. David p. Bar
rows, of the bureau of the Christian
tribes of Filipinos. His questioning re-
| ferred to the characteristics of the peo-
pie of the archipelago.
The dominant class, he said, was very
| small in number In town of 10000 in
habitants there might be, perhaps. eight
families of the dominant class. This ele-
ment had wealth. lived in fine houses, and
had very great social influence.
| He thought their social prestige was in
| herited directly from the conditions in
which the Spaniards found them three
| centuries ago. The rest of the people. he
said, had no education and no wealth. and
were controlled economically and socially
| by the upper classes, or so-called gente
mustrada.
Class Is Ambitious.
| This class was very ambitious-ambi-
tious of education. and ambitious of par
| ticipating in the political affairs of the
| islands. They were willing to make large
| sacrifices, in order to secure field for
their operations. They were exceedingly
hospitable and pleasing in their manners.
| He thought that they would compare IA
vorably with a similar class in Japan.
| Senator Hale-What was your observa-
tion as to the feeling of that class to
| Americans?
| Mr.. Barrows-I think that the feeling
of that class has undergone several
, changes since the American occupation.
After the fall of 1895 there was a period
of active fighting, and there was bitter
hatred to the Americans. Some were
very friendly. or were, at least, desirous
of giving the Americans trial; but
think that the feeling among the great
majority was one of great hostility to
us through the year 1899, and large
part of 1900.
Senator Hale-What is your observa-
tion about the mass of the people in that
| respect?
Mr. Barrows-The great mass of the
people are included under the term gente
baja. That is, they are not cultivated.
or educated, or well-to-do classes Some
of them are agriculturalists owning their
own farms. Many are fishermen, others
peace.
Trust in America.
sIn northern Luzon the influential class
| has become reconciled to the American
authorities. and there has been sub
sidence of violence. resistance, and armed
activity. l think that if we should alien
ate the controlling element in the ISL
thau rafS n
! .nsurrection. But at the present time the
i tendency is not toward alienation, but
toward a feeling of confidence"
In answer to enquiries as to the views
of the leading Filipinos. Mr.. Barrows said
| that they believed the Americans are go
ing to carry out a liberal policy with
them, and give them form OF government
that will furnish field for their political
aspirations.
Senator Carmack-Can there really be
any sympathetic feeling between the
Americans and races so entirely different?
Mr.. Barrows-I think that we can come
nearer to establishing sympathetic rela-
tions with the Malay races than has ever
been established between them and white
people.
After description of the construction
Oh tne native MI bdTTONS was
asked whether he thought it possible to
change the native spoken languages for
the English tongue by means OF American
school teachers. He said that he did not
consider it either possible or desirable.
II the Filipino was to be enlightened at
all, he was of the opinion that there would
! have to be medium of exchange between
the tribes themselves. and with the white
races: and il was extremely fortunate that
| the Filipino ambition was to learn Eng
| lish.
To Learn English.
He thought it possible that in very
| few years an educated class might be
| raised in the archipelago that would un-
derstand English and that would know
something of English literature, and he
thought that this class might form a large
| body. distributed among the Philippine
| people, with whom there could be mutual
sympathy.
Senator Allison enquired as to the mo-
| tive which led Filipinos to desire to learn
English.
Mr. Barrows said that the motive amcng
the most elevated class was that they
| believed the English language to be an
avenue to the great world. In order to
| make the Filipinos enamored of American
institutions, Mr.. Barrows said that they
would have to be guaranteed the ordinary
civil rights of American citizens. the same
as that guaranteed to the inhabitants of
Territories. He thought they would be
satisfied with the same organization as
the TerritDrieS