Evening star., 1903-12-07
clared themselves ready to respond to a
sudden call of the President"
Conditions In. the Philippines.

Conditions in. the Philippines.
In special charter on the Philippines
Secretary Root says In part:
"On the 18th of October, 1908, the Ameri-
can troops in the Philippines consisted OF
S43 officers and 14.66T enlisted men. 1t Is
not desirable to make any further reduction
until the construction of barracks and quar-
ters in the United States has made further
progress. There are also 80 officers and
4,S0o enlisted men Of the Philippine Scouts.
There 1s not at present much occasion Tor
the use OF American troops outside OF the
Moro country, but ahe moral effect of their
presence tS undoubtedly Salutary.
"A number of conflicts have occurred dur
ing the year between certain lawless bands
and the Philippine scouts, in which the
scouts have conducted themselves admira-
bly. In two cases during the year small
bodies or white troops were called upon.
Inc suppression of this kind of disorder is
necessarily the work of time: but 1T Is evil
IDENTIFY progressing as rapidly as can be ex-
pected.
The Question Of Slavery.
'1t has become plain that the Bates
agreement Of 1899. which served a useful
purpose at that time, can no longer be de-
pended upon an instrument of govern
ment. and that a new arrangement must be
substituted in its place under which Amer
dattoS who are the real controlling powers
in the Sulu Archipelago.
The conditions which have described, as
ions as they exist, will be an insuperable
barrier 10 carrying out the intention of
the government, as it is found that the
oulu MoroS are not only continuing the
practice of slavery, but are actively en-
gagged In the slave trade
1t was anticipated that the establish
ment OF the new system of government and
the bringing of the defiant dattos under
american control would probably result in
1Sslstance res and hostilities by some of them.
NAT mas proved to be the case, and recent
geographic dispatches show that n has
peen necessary to administer to one Of the
strongest of those dattos the same kind oP
lesson winch had already been given in the
Lake Lanao district
Defense Of Insular Possessions
wish again to call attention to the
Necessity OF constructing defenses for our
lnsular possessions. Projects for the de-
1enses for San Juan, P. R.; Pearl harbor
and Honolulu harbor, Hawaii San Luis
q Apra, Guam; Manila bay and Subig bay
IN the Philippines. have been made and ap-
ploveu, ana estimates for the necessary
eohSlI uCCon nave been transmitted to Con-
gress. There ought to be no delay in put
ung all these points in such condition that
at least they will not be defenseless against
any suooeh @ 1oray by single. lightly armed
stations In the West Indies also calls for
immediate attention.
Reduce the Philippine Tariff.
earnestly renew the recommendation
which 1 have already made for a reduction
OF duties upon Philippine imports into the
United States. l submit that there is no
just reason why the people of the Philip
pines should not be treated with some fair
approach to the advantages which are
awarded to the people of Porto Rico and
the Hawaiian Islands"
IN closing his report, Secretary Root saws:
Wish TO express my keen and grateful
apiTecfatlon OF the kindness, generous 10y
atty and sincere effort which, with rare ex-
cceptlons have characterized the chiefs of
bureaus in the War Department and their
assistants, military and civil, the civil as
slStants OF the Secretary of War and the Of
ncers OF the army generally during nv en-
ure term of service as Secretary L do not
think any government ever had a BODY of
publlc servants presenting better stand
ara or personal character higher average
OF competency, or more completely con-
trolling sense of public duty. A country is
fortunate which has such officers to rely
upon in time of need