New-York tribune., 1902-04-30
TAFT TO YALE STUDENTS.
IrI, TREATMENT OF FILIPINOS NOT AT
ALL TYPICAL OF AMERICAN RULE.
HE DECLARES.
rRy TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRIBUNE. J

New-Haven Conn., April 29-Judge William H.
Taft Governor General of the Philippine Islands,
spoke to large Yale audience in College street
Hall this evening The Philippines and the
Problems Of the Administration" Governor Iart
was emphatic IN his support Of the plans OF the
administration of the islands and earnest In MS
denials that isolated cases Of cruel treatment OF
the natives by the American soldiers were at all
typical of American rule. He was also emphatic
in his statement that the Islands would have to
undergo a slow growth to anything like complete
political autonomy. To give freedom to the Fiji
pinos now he said would be most unwise act.
Governor Taft described the Islands and natives,
and said that the present acute trouble was due
TO the murder Of American telegra piers and to
the refusal of the natives to give up the culprits
to Justice. He did not believe that any general
disturbance would result from this The necessity
for securing some means of communication was
unouestioned. Spanish the only method now,
and that was not at all general. English would
soon become the popular language. The Fflipnos
have a large idea Of political and governmental
freedom he said. but weak notions OF industrial
freedom They willing to acknowledge the
authority of any delegated TO receive it. and
will obey him implicitly. If the islands were de-
clared free today they would drift at once into
state OF absolutism where the intelligent leaders
Of the higher classes would at once assume the
rule
With resnect TO the evidence as to the water
cure and other crueIties, Governor Taft said that
ii must be remembered that the army Of forty
thousand TO sixty thousand men. by reason OF
the guerilla warfare carried by the insurgents.
had to be divided five hundred posts, many of
which were commanded by first and second lieu
tenants captains. and sometimes by sergeants'
and that the detachments in the field far ex-
ceeded the number of posts: that this explained
how it was possible with many engagements daily.
exceptional instances OF such abuses might occur,
without typifying the conduct Of the army, which.
on the whole humane and considerate toward
the natives. 1t VIZ not to be expected that In an
army of sixty thousand men there should not be
brutes or weak men, who would yield to the
ternptation of arbitrary power and the provoca-
ton hardly to be understood of the ambush and
treachery. savagery and danger of the Filipino
guerilla warfare it was practised.
Regarding the order of General Smith in Samar
Governor Taft said that the matter was still
under investigation, and had happened since he
left the islands, he feel justified in making
a public statement. The inadequacy of short cable
dispatches In giving true picture OF a situation
required a delay until the whole record could be
forwarded and the findings reviewed By the Presi-
In speaking of the relations between the church
Taft said that, under Spanish rule. the church
the had had their interests so inextrica.
bIy associated and fused that it a work of
the and difficult character to separate
yat those nteresfs must be seoarated in order
the church and state in the philippines should
traditions and system of government It was an
Indispensable condition precedent to bringing about
some conference between the church authorities
and the representatives of this government with a
view TO amicable adjustment Whether this
conference should be had between a representative
of the United States Government and repre-
sentative of the great corporation of the Catholic
Church, should be conference between a rep
resentative of this government and the head of the
church, mere question Of method and OF
facility of complete settlement. 1t could not, of
course involve the establishment of diplomatic
relations with the Vatican, but, If held would be
a conference made necessary by the unusual cir
curnstauce of a transfer of sovereignty from a
country closely associated with the church to one
which must have the interests of the church and
state separate