The Washington times., 1902-02-02
GOV. TAFT DESCRIBES
PHILIPPINE AFFAIRS

I
Christian tribes, as a good many Of them
be got at.
Il suppose that the Filipinos (by that
/ mean the Christians amount to some
thing over 100000, perhaps 6.0OOOO0
The non-Christians are estimated at
1000. 900, and the Moros go to make up
the rest of the 9,0G0 000.''
Senator Hale then enquired as to the
number of insurrectos in the island of
Samar.
Number of Rebels Uncertain.
Governor Taft replied that this question
was also very hard to answer.
Twelve hundred bolomen," said the
Governor, were said to have surrender
ed there, and the estimate usually put
by military officers on any insurrection-
airy force was based on the number of
bolos.
General Wheaton told me the insur-
rectos with rifles did not exceed l.200 to
1850 men. Since l left the islands. 700
rifles have been surrendered in Batangas
and Luzon."
Where do they get their rifles and am
munition?" queried Chairman Lodge.
The Source of Ordnance supply.
I'VE know where they got them orig
inally," replied the Governor, but we
do not know where the additional rifles
and ammunition came from. l do not
think that any expedition from Hong
kong, Japan, or China has ever been
definitely reported OF course they re-
ceived good many rifles from Admiral
Dewey"
Mr. Lodge-were any rifles or ammu-
milton sent to them from Europe?
Mr.. Taft cannot tell. They have
agents in London, Paris. Madrid, Singa-
pore, and Hongkong.
Mr.. Lodge-Do you know anything
about a man named Bray in Hongkong?
Wrote for the Junta.
Mr.. Taft-There was a man named
Bray, a member of the first commission
at Hongkong. He used to do some writ
ing for the junta. They have a paper in
Hongkong in which their statements are
printed, and | suppose Bray drafted those
statements. There was at one time a
rumor-probably there was something in
it-that the Japanese were helping them
not the Japanese Government-and l
think that among the captured arms a
few japanese rifles were found.
Mr.. Lodge-What are the rifles sur
rendered from time to time?
Mr.. Taft-They are mostly Remingtons
or Mausers.
Mr.. Lodge-So that they may have
come from Spanish sources?
From Spanish Sources.
Mr. Taft-Yes.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Dubois.
Governor Taft described the Filipino as
attached, first TO his town, then TO his
province, and then to his race.
Among the educated classes, con-
tinued the Governor, there is a pride
in their own people and desire for
progress. The estimate made by the
Spaniards of the proportion of the people
of the islands who spoke Spanish was
between and per cent. This included
the head men of the towns, all of the
professional men, lawyers and doctors,
and all engaged extensively in business.
The great majority of the people are
unable to read and write, but it is i'm
possible to fix the percentage
Mr.. Hale-What are our teachers there
teaching?
riIipinos Learning English.
Mr.. Taft-"They are teaching the Fill
pinO children English and the rudiments-
reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Il had supposed that it was necessary
that our teachers should know Spanish
or some of the dialects of the islands,
but | think they get along better without
such knowledge.
There are between 900 and 900 towns
in the islands, and there are American
teachers in less than half OF them-in
255 garrisoned and 200 ungarrisoned
towns.
Manila Normal school.
There is a normal school in Manila at
! tended by $50 Filipino teachers, and We
expect to establish three or four more
in Luzon and other islands.
There is great interest and enthusiasm
on the part of Filipino teachers in study
ing English and preparing for better sal
aries
The Jesuits have very large school
in Manila.
Manilans All Catholics.
There is homogeneity among the peo
pie as to habits and manners. In the
first place they are all Catholics, and are
a unit in that. A man who does not
speak Spanish is like a man at the bottom
OF a well as far as his being reached by
modern thought is concerned.
That was one OF the principal reasons
why | voted in the Commission that the
Spanish language should be- retained as
the language OF the law courts for five
years, and if the same conditions prevail
then 1 would vote again for its retention"
Ignorance and Superstiiion.
In reply to a question by Mr.. Patterson
as to the average intelligence OF the peo-
pie, Governor Taft said it was impossible
to appreciate the ignorance and super
stition among those who did not speak
Spanish.
The difficulty which We find in the
Filipino people. and the difficulty which
will remain during the present generation
is the ease with which an educated Fill
pino, who has any wealth, may control
and opprcss his own people. A great
many Of them have little thought beyond
the control of their local affairs"
IN reply to an enquiry by Mr.. Rawlins
as TO the Federal party in Manila, GOV
ernor Taft said:
The Federal Party.
The Federal party is made up of
majority of the educated people of the
islands. 1t is the political organization
most widely spread there.
Three Of its members were on the
commission. They brought their platform
to US for approval or disapproval We
said we could not approve or disapproye,
and that the question Of statehood was
not matter Of our business.
Statehood is one of the aspirations of
the party. 1t has never been promised
by anyone having any authority in the
islands, but it is possible that some peo-
pie may have been mIsled and brought to
hope that 1t would be given to them"
M Rawlins-What would be the effect
of such a promise?
ILc q 0ue.linn of SiatchOOd.