The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-04-03
|MOROS MUST
Be WON OVER
Tribesmen Make
Good Friends
Then.
Peace Will Follow In
Course of Their
Education.
island is a Prosperous One and
With Reasonable Government
There May be Advance.

ASSOCIATED Press Mail Special.l
! WASHINGTON. March 27.-captain
John ]. Pershing, Fifteenth Infantry,
who has been in command in the Moro
country. has written a letter under
date of Camp vickers. January 2sth.
to personal friend in the War Depart
ment in which he gives in detail many
interesting facts in connection with the
| disturbances in Mindanao. Captain
Pershing says that after he was placed
in charge of Moro affairs by General
Davis. because he apparently could get
along with them, he worked on the
theory that it is necessary to estab-
fish mutual confidence between the Mo-
ros and the United States, IF we are
to govern them without lot of trou-
ble''
He endeavored to demonstrate to
them that the United States is their
friend. having no desire to carry them
off into slavery or to take anything be-
longing to them without paying for it.
This, he writes. is all contrary to what
they have been accustomed to in the
past. The SpaniaTds and the Moros
could not get along together well, The
Moros were very jealous of their re-
ligion and the Spaniards tried to civil
lie them by seizing and baptizing some
of them. There were atrocities COM
mitted on both sides as a result of
these differences.
Captain Pershing says that the Mo-
ros do not realize any other kind of |
a government than one-man power
He says he has been able to keep all |
the promises he has made, which has |
enabled him to be more successful in |
command of that district. They regard |
him as representing the President of |
America and are somewhat uneasy as |
to what his successor will do. The |
question of slavery is intimately con-
nected with their religion and is some /
thing of vassalage or serfdom, and
not slavery known in this country. He
thinks it is a subject that should re-
main untouched until it is understood |
better. The Moros, he writes should |
have a government which they can I'M
derstand and it should be the policy of
the United States to let it alone, but to
make each Sultan and Dato responsible
for the acts of his people.
we cannot afford" he says. ito tear
down their established form of govern
ment without giving them something
better and l fear it will be long time
before this can be done"
The Maciu campaigns have had a
convincing effect as to the impossibility
Of any natives escaping punishment
when they commit depredations. Cap
tain Pershing says the Moros have
some admirable traits of character.
"Once friend. they all go to the limit /;
for you,' they are industrious and ,
nave splendid rice fields and other agri-
cultural crops. The country is capable
Of great things from an agricultural
standpoint. The country is somewhat
ike Mohawk Valley and the whole dis
rist can be compared to that about :
Lake George.
Captain Pershing says that he be-
ieves the troops could march around
he lake now and be received in a Y
riendly spirit everywhere except at s
8acolod. He has number Of reliable
ecret service Moros and they inform
i'm of the conditions and feeling
mong their countrymen.
He says there are about $4,000 people
hat live in that region and they are
4 fair way to become real friends.
lie says this is an achievement he
'ouid be proud of and is almost ready
, promise it, adding though we may =
some old hard-headed savage
} whom We shall have to administer =
severe lesson in order to teach him,
nd others. what'we can do
Captain Pershing, in conclusion, says
is the most interesting work he has
ct had in the army and he hopes to
enlain and be permitted to work out
le problem.
L