New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-15
MORO TREATY ANNULLED-
PRESIDENT QU4SHES 1T.
Sultqn's Obstreperous People Didn't
Keep the Pact.

/ heard to-day by the House Committee on In
suIar Affairs on the pending bill TO provide for
/ the more efficient administration Of civil gov
/ eminent I'm the Philippines Previous to the
. hearing, Chairman Cooper read TO the commit
tee the following cable message sent by Score
tary Taft on March =. abrogating the Bates
treaty between the United States and the Sultan
/ Of Sulu and his dattOs:
/ To Wright Manila
BY order of nc president YOU are directed to
notify the Sultan Of Sulu and the dattos who
/ signed the so-calIed Bates treaty Of August 20
1 1888 which mOdus vivendi ana mere eN-
ecutiye agreement. that in view OF the IalI l
on the part Of the Sultan and the signing DAT
tos 10 discharge the duties and rum Ine Coi!
dltons imposed upon them py Salt dSIe7I.,Il'
they have forfeited all right TO the annulJles
/ therein stipulated TO be paid to them ana 10 an
other considerations allowed To them under the
. agreement. that the treaty is abroSated ana
held for naught and that residents OF the
Moro province in the Philippine archlpelaso
they are subject to the laws enacted IneIelh
unGer the sovereignty OF the United states
Communicate this through Leonard " ood' Gov
ernor Of the province Of Moro, and advise me
OF the acknoW ledEment and receipt and notih-
cation 10 the parties
Referring 10 the telegram from this ofice of
January 30, If action has been taken under the
same. il is approved and should be Immediately
communicated to the Sultan Of Sulu and the
other parties as indicated above. The disturb
ances in the island of Jolo make necessary
speeder action than was contemplated In the
above dispatch. TAFT.
The dispatch referred TO IS signed by Root,
and is follows:
Recommendation Philippine Commission that
Bates agreement with Moro be declared no
longer in force. upon grounds referred 10 IN re
port Of the Civil Governor. is approved IN prin-
ciple. A statement declaring and containing tho
legislation necessary III consequence OF IAls do'
roSation and having recltals carefully drawn
should be prepared and passed TO third reading
by commission, and then forwarded TO the Sc
rotary Of War for his approval in advance OF
its enactment
AMERICANS DEFEAT MORO FORCE.
The Secretary said this action taken be-
cause disturbances IN the Jolo group indicated
that the Moros had violated the terms OF the
treaty. Prompt action was taken in preference
to referring the matter 10 Congress because Of
the continuation OF the disturbances. President
Roosevelt was consulted and approved the ac-
ton.
Secretary Taft told the committee that he hal
received a cable message to-day from General
Wade. stating that General Wood reported that,
on account Of the anti-slavery proclamation,
the Moros OF the Rio Grande del NIindanao dis-
trict had risen: that their aired force had been
met and defeated with 10 American loss. but
with considerable loss to the MoroF. consid-
cradle number OF small cannon WAS captured
from the MorJs in the engagement
i am dsappoint11 at this news remarked
Secretary Taft. because I supposed that the
Moros Of that district were in a condition where
that sort OF thing was not possible"
The Secretary. IN answer 10 Representative
Patterson, OF Tennessee said that IN his opinion
the executive action alread! taken had put
end to the Bates agreement, but action by Cor
gress would make assurance doubly sure" The
Secretary denied absolutely that the treaty rec
oguized either slavery or polysamy.
How about article 1912" asked Representative
williams OF Illinois.
There IS no such article in the treaty" re-
Piled Secretary Taft President Mckinley
eliminated that article before he approved tho
treaty"
But slavery has existed" persisted Mr.. Pat
terson, Of Tennessee.
Whenever a slave has presented himself he
has been freed: the Moros have not gone to
war on account Of slavery; neither has slavery
been destroyed by force OF arms by the United
States. but the slave trade has been suppressed
just as far as II has been possible. Slavery
prevails wherever there are Moros.' was the
answer
ONLY 100000 MoRos IL ISLANDS.
For campaign purposes" interposed Repre-
sentative CrumpackeT. Of Indiana, I'VE mgat be
justified I'm passing resolution abrogating the
treaty providing 81 did not provoke Filipino
and Moro war in the House and Senate"
I don't profess 10 be an expert on campaign
material having been absent for four years
laughIuglv replied Secretary Taft.
Mr. Crumpackcr Immediately drafted sub
stitute FOR the Patterson HN abrogatlng the
treaty providing that the action OF the President
ard Garr--ary az War taken on March - 1904
uncualifedy alroEatinK the Bates treaty, be
confirmed and approved Secretary Tart ap-
proved this, but the committee decided 10 defer
It's action on the matter desiring TO hear Sec
retary Taft on the railroad problem IN the
. islands. Before leaving the subject, however,
the Secretary said that in his opinion there were
/ not more than 100000 Moros in the islands
although 81 had been supposed there were
100000.
Secretary Taft then reviewed the fiscal con-
dltlon in the islands lie would be agrceably
surprised. he said If the island got out without
! actual loss on the Friar land proposition. Sec
rotary Taft VIII again be heard Wednesday.