The Washington bee., 1903-01-24
CHARGES ARE DENIED
Schools in the Philippine Islands
Are Non-Sectarian.
Catholics Not DLserIminASed AE@lAst
and PrOseiytinE Is Forbidden
Father AcI<inzon's EdueA- 4
uOnAl Propositions.

The bureau of insular affairs of the
war department has made public tho
report of Frank Il. Bowen, acting gen
eral superintendent of public instTuo-
tion for the Philippine islands, upon
the charges made IN the United States
against the school system Of the isl-
ends alleging that it was used as =
prOselyting agency against Catholics
and generally used to the prejudice CT
Catholicism.
These charges were forwarded to
Manila and the reply was made to Actz
ing Gov, Wright, 8
The report Of Superintendent Bowen
Is a general and specific denial of the
charges. He says that or 20 persons
who have been division superintend-
entS only one has ever been a clergy
man. Three division superintendent
by leaders of the Roman Catholic
church in the United States.
In this connection the report says:
The question of the religious belief
of applicants and appointees was never
considered until late in 1901. At that
time a special lot of applications,
gathered by the authorities of the
Roman Catholic church in the United
! States, was sent to the civil governor
/ of these islands and transmitted To
| the general superintendent. From
/ these special lists three division super
! intendents and % teachers were ap-
pointed. In reporting these appoint
ments to the civil governor the gen
| eral superintendent stated: i have
! had much difficulty in finding people
| in this lot of applications who are pos
| sessed of the educational preparation
and teaching experience which is re-
quired of other appointees in this de-
partment. Those who have not been
selected seem to be wholly insult
able"
The only departure from strict nom
sectarianism in the conduct of the
schools was a provision Of the Philip
pine commission. which made it law
ful for a priest or minister of any es-
tablished church in the pueblo where
a public school IS situated TO teach re-
hgiOn for one-half hour three times a
week in the school building TO pupils
whose parents have expressed a wish
| for such construction.
Concerning proselyting, the report
says:
mot only is no proselyting allowed
or attempted in any Of the public
schools, but inquiry Of the leaders o.
the four principal Protestant denomi
nations here brings out the fact that
so far as is known by these leaders
| there is not a native Protestant Sun
day school teacher in the entire arch
ipelago."
/ The statement that not one-third Of
| the Protestant teachers ever taught
a day before going to the Philippines
and that the Catholic teachers are sent
on to the distant provinces is emphat-
ically denied.
Father McKinnOn, a priest officially
connected with the public school sys-
tenn in Manila. who went to that place
| as AdpldlA Oi the IlIsb Nd4lAbI uAh
regiment at the outbreak Of the Span
ish-American war, has urged the az
thorities of the Philippines church to
send 400 Of the younger native priests
/ to America for a couple Of years train
ing in seminaries in the United States
Father McKinnon says he discussed
/ this plan with the late President Nc
Kinley, who approved it, as it was be-
! lieved that in this way Filipino clergy
men would become imbued with the
broad spirit of American priesthood
1t is believed possible that money for
carrying out this project could be
! raised in America. II is estimated that
the seminary expense Of each priest
would be about $50 year The ma
tives are favorable TO the plan The
fact that the native priests speak e
! different language from those in
! America would be no hindrance, be-
cause all Catholic clergymen have 3
common knowledge Of Latin, and be-
sides a number Of priests in the United
States SPEAK Spanish.