The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-03-12

TRAVELLERS who are anxious to see the Philip
pines as they were during Spanish occupancy must
hasten there apace. The Americanization of the
islands is progressing at feverish rate of speed,
and Judging from the past they will only differ
from the United States in climate decade
hence All the islands on which Americans have
gained foothold are rapidly becoming modernized.
They are connected with the other by telephone
and telegraph lines; wherever possible electric rail
roads have sprung up: huge warehouses and docks
have been built; schoolhouses and churches erected
and in the cities there modern stores with plate
glass windows The younger generation of Filipinos
speak English in preference to Spanish, and those
who are not "hustlers' are fast becoming beggars
A summary of the improvements inaugurated and
consummated by Americans in the archipelago since
the battle of Manila Bay was given by Major j. A.
Watrous q. s. A., in speech before the Wisconsin
Press Association at Milwaukee last week. In the
course of his remarks, Major Watrous said
"The conditions in the Philippine islands in
1908 are SO different from what they we're in 1898
that it would be easy to think our country had been
in charge for quarter of century, instead of five
years. In the broadcast most liberal, most wise and
the justest sense America is in the Philippines
islands She carried there her great, warm, sympa-
thetic heart her love of good ORDER peace her love
citizenship, fairness and love of liberty there.
American energy is there American enterprise,
American genius. The American press, the inventor,
religious liberty and rugged honesty are there.
She is there with magnificent educational system,
a system patterned after the one that has done as
, much any interest to build up and make
America the leader of the nations. :. Cities are
being made safe to live in by the cleansing process;
bad customs are being laid aside for good ones:
hundreds of miles of good roads have been built and
others building; railways projected and are
soon to come with their civilizing and developing
Influences the opening and marketing of long buried
and immense mineral resources-gold, silver, copper,
lead and coal in abundance of vast lumber interests
Electric street lines chartered The methods
of conducting agricultural pursuits that COM
thousand, yes, even two thousand years ago,
in other lands are being put aside and modern
American customs introduced. That means the
cultivation of millions of acres of rich lands increase
of products an hundred fold more. Regular lines
of steamships about the islands are taking the place
of the semioccasional trips by boats that long ago
out of date and unsafe Substantial, liberal,
honestly managed governments have been established
in ALL nearly all, of the provinces and among the
officers of these provincial governments hundreds
of natives who being taught to properly transact
public business, and whose promptness in that
direction gives the best possible promise that the
day is coming when the Fipnos furnish, if not
ALL then all but two of the officers required
in each province. They quick to learn, anxious
to learn they wonderful imitators"
Whether these manifold improvements will make
the Filipinos any better morally or any more happy