Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-05-15
THREE YEARS IN
THE PHILIPPINES
Ward Kearns Arrival in this City Satur-
day Last,

! Ward KeaTn, who grew to manhood
! in this city, returned home Saturday
last after three years enlistment in
the Philippine Islands. He is looking
we'll after his prolonged and varied
| experience in Uncle Sans new pos
J sessions. He is young man of educa
| tion, well read and observing and as
| is natural converses most entertain
! ingly on the situation in the archlpel-
ago His views just now when there
, is so much under controversy as to the
J conduct Of the war possess an especial
,, interest.
Mr.. Kearn was clerk in the Adult
! ant Generals office at Cebu, p. !. and
therefore was i'll good position to
know something about the relative
strength of the forces arrayed, the
methods of warfare and the prospects Of
pacification in the islands. While not at
all carried away with admiration for
| the personal qualities of some of those
| in command, yet Mr.. Kearn did not hes
like drastic measures when employed
are in most cases justified by the cir
cumstances His remarks on the whole,
which were very frank, had the effect
of convincing one that in the reports
of brutality from the Philippines
there must have been great deal OF
exaggeration The water cure" he
said, which is a method of torture
learned from the Filipinos themselves,
he never knew to be used except in
cases to repay gross treachery and
and much treasure was at stake. As
70 the sand cure as described i'll the
reports Mr.. Kean says he never heard
of it. Even the water cure, y which
is bad enough, is exaggerated in the
printed accounts.
1t is method of torture that con-
sists in filling the victim with water;
of forcing by means of a bamboo tube
twice the quantity into the stomach
that that organ would naturally hold.
The method described. TO bring back
sensibility' namely, the "thumping
of the victim on the stomach with the
butt of the musket, - Mr. KeaTn says,
is altogether unknown in the process.
Insensibility' is not one of the effects
it is the cXcruciating pain caused by
the pressure of water i'll the stomach
that generally drives the man to con-
feSSion
Mr. Kearu regards the paciticatiOn of
me islands practically accomplish
ed. There are large provinces where
an old civilization obtains and life Is
much the same as here There is edu-
cation and refinement with religious
toleration There are of course frequ-
ent disturbances, just as there are out
breaks between the blacks and whites
in the South OF our own country Ac-
counts of these much exaggerated, reach
this country and cause the impression
that the mass Of the natives are hostile
to our government.
Mr. Kearn says there are many op-
portunities in the Philippines and fine
fortunes are lying waiting for young
men of push and business discernment
The conditions of life there are alto
gether different from here. All work
of menial nature is monopoliZed by
the natives. What passes here as a
moderate salary there assures a man
whole retinue of servants and
gives him high social standing Mr..
Kearn will not re-cnlist, but he thinks
of returning to the Philippines i'll six
months time and entering upon a
business career.