The St. Louis Republic., 1904-04-18
PHILIPPINE SCOUTS
AROUSE ADMIRATION
Pick of Uncle Sans Oriental
Army Arrives at the
Worlds Fair.
NOTHING SAVAGE ABOUT THEM
Look Like Real Soldiers and Have
Band That Plays Every
thing From Ragtime to
Classic Airs.
NOTHING SAVAGE ABOUT THEM

The Philippine scout Is none of your
dog-eating head-hunting. half-nuked
Igorrote. He is a well-built man. with a
courtenance as intelligent a Japanese
or any other civilized person of the Orient.
and in manner and bearing he is consid-
cred q credit to his race.
The Philippine scouts arrived at the
Worlds Fair grounds yesterday morning
and took immediate possession of the
camp which the Government provided for
them in the southeastern section of the
Philippine Reservation.
There are about $50 of these scouts. in
Guiding a band of forty-five pieces And
the members of this band are not selling
platers in the music line. either. They
play the hest music that was ever writ
ten, in a manner that won great applause
from an audience of about T.GO, which
gathered on the reservation yesterday aft
ernoon and gazed in wonder on the fight
ing natives of the Orient.
The band of the Philippine scouts can
jump from ragtime to the overture from
William Tell without batting an eye or
making an extra pucker of the lips. Tn
der the direction of Eugene p. Fischer.
former member of the army. this native
band renders pleasing melody.
Those who visite,. the Worlds Fair yes
terday sound that the Philippines hold
something else besides savages. The
scouts represent the pick Of the native
army. They are the dudes OF the Philip
pines and come from the best families.
They speak Spanish and their native Ian
guage fiuently, and most of them have
fair knowledge of English.
They have square shoulders, stand per
fectly erect. look the soldier from head
to foot. and work with vim and deter
mination.
The scouts have sworn allegiance to the
stars and stripes and are regular MEM
bers Of the United States Army. Having
an apprecia ton of their rights and priv
iieges. no one can molest them without
subjecting himself to the dangers of the
bayonet and as the camp of the Philip
pine scouts IS under army regulations,
visitors within the lines must behave
themselves
CLEARED OUT CROWD.
When the order was given yesterday
afternoon to clear the camp. dozen sem
tinels guns in hand. started for the crowd.
The reluctant ones lost their reluctance
when they heard the stern command to
move on
The Philippine scout Is an American
citizen and he knows it. He is also glad
of 1t. He will be in the service until the
end of the Exposition. at which time he
will be discharged from the army. He
will then be allowed to remain in this
country il he so chooses. or he will be
transported to the Philippines by the Gov
ernment If he desires to return.
The scouts are shor. in stature, but are
stocky in build. They appear to have
constitutions of iron and disease seldom
affects them. When they were enlisted in
the service of the army in 1901 they were
sent into regions in which it had been
found that few American soldiers could
live These included the fever districts in
the Philippines. places where few white
men ere- SO. Fever holds no dread for "A
Philippine scout. He is apparently i'm
mune.
On the trip across the Pacific few of
them We're seasics, and from San Fran
cisco to St. Louis the journey overland
was not marred by sickness. In the camp
at the Worlds Fair there is a great nos
pital tent. but as yet it is empty.
The scouts were attired yesterday in
their khaki suits. They were the clothes
that the soldiers wore on their long trip
from Manila. To-day the natives will come
out in brand-new blue uniforms which
were sent to them by the War Depart
ment. When they get tfe SO new clothes
on Major Johnston. their commander
says that Worlds Fair patrons will see
a battalion Of the hest-appearinr soldiers
in the world.
GOOD FIGHTING MEN.
The scouts are divided into five compa-
MES. Each company Is officered by two
i.ieutenants, who were selected from the
ranks of the regular army.
The arrival of the IaurrcteS had given
the impression that the people Of the Phil
ippines We're q POOR stock. The scouts
served as All eye-opener.
'.These are the kind of men that the
American Army had 10 fight In the Phil
ippines." said Major Johnston. An army
that can defeat these fellows is deserving
Of some credit. There are TO towards
in this crowd. and every man in the bat
talon would die fighting Tor the Stars
and Stripes. They are Intelligent and edu-
Gated. and they are fond of Americans
on account of the great number of Wis
itors. 1t was impossible for the scouts to
narade yesterday afternoon. hut there is
a review scheduled for this afternoon.