The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-27
WORK OF Y. M. CA.
IN PHILIPPINES
Head of the Island Department
Tells of LabOrs.
SAYS CONDITIONS IMPROVE
EDUCATION Is UPLIFTING THE
YOUNGER GENERATION.

E. S Ely. who has charge. of the Y.
NJ c. A. work among the United
States sailors and marines in the Phil
ippine islands, is at the Cullen with
his wife. They are returning to Ma
Mia after leave of absence of three
months, mostly spent at their old home
at Elkhart, Ind. They will san from
San Francisco. Dec. l.
Il have been three and a half years
in the Philippines" said Mr.. Ely Il
arrived there the day Aguinaldo was
captured. The first year I was in the
Y. NJ. c. A. army werk, and travelled
all over the northern part Of the ISL
3ndS. That year We sent out from
Manila 175 tons of reading matter. Now
We have $50 travelling libraries with
fifty books in each, that are circulated
among the soldiers, marines and sail
ors on board the United States war
vessels.
Il am making my headquarters at
Cavite nine miles across the bay from
Manila, where the old Spanish navy
yard was located and were the Unit
ed States government has navy yard,
At Olongopo about sixtyfve miles
number Of buildings and may build
navy yard there and abandon the
Cavite yard If the plans that are be-
ing prepared are adopted. an immense
navy yard VIII be built at one or the
other place. Il is proposed to expend
between s40,000000 and $4,000, 900. At
Cavite there is an average Of about
5000 officers, sailors and marines, and
sometimes. when all the ships of the
fleet are there. fully 5000 Besides
there are usually 1900 natives and Chi
ne1e workmen employed i'm the yard.
At OlOngopO there are 500 marines.
Helen Gould Gives Heavily.
Miss Helen Gould gives to the army
and navy y. NJ. G. A. work $4,000
year. most of which goes to the Phil
ippines. The government aids US by
putting up buildings and furnishing
material and hauling supplies without
expense to US.
we have at Cavite a gymnasium,
restaurant. a dormitory, two tennis
courts and a pool table. There is no
place for white men who go ashore at
Cavite to sleep except In the Y. NJ. G.
A. dormitory. I'm which we can com
fortably accommodate fifty persons.
At Olongopo we have "a building 50x34
feet made of Oregon pine with a roof
of nipa grass. i'm which we have a Ii
brary continuing 600 volumes and a new
piano which was bought by the ma
rines. They raised the price by sub
scriptions. Each of the five compa-
MES Of marines stationed there has a
baseball team.
Our religious services both at Cavite
and OlonSopO are we'll attended, a
good percentage Of both sailors and
marines taking on interest in them.
At OiongopO we give two concerts a
month, the vocal music being furnished
by marines and native string orches-
tras furnishing the instrumental mu
sic.
Says Filipinos Are Hospitable.
Morally regard the Filipinos as
superior TO the Japanese For hospi-
tally I never saw n people that sur
passed them. No matter how poor they
may be, they always welcome the
stranger to their homes. While We
have made but little impression on the
adults. il is different with the children.
The hope of the country is in the chill
dren The public schools are doing a
grand work. as shown by the fact that
more than So 600 cnil1ren i'm the islands
now speak read and write the English
language. They are especially neat and
proficient in their writing They learn
very rapidly and their parents, instead
OF opposing the schools, are DESTROYS
of having them attend them. The par
ents have concluded. evidently that i'm
2 few years all the business Of the ISL !
ands will be transacted in English. and
they want their children to equip them
selves for the future.
Saws Health Is Good.
M ~ - e,,i+,-,- ,,r,,f;+io--
prominent army officer told me Just
before / left Manila on my vacation
that the percentage of death in the
army is greater in the United States
than in the army i'm Manila, per 1000
officers and men. Cholera has been
wiped out. and dysentery. the disease
that has caused the most fatalities
among the soldiers and marines. has
been greatly lessened. There has been
no yellow fever in the islands. but
'dangue fever. which is often enron
eously mistaken for yellow fever IN a
mild form, is prevalent. l have never
known of a death from dangue fever.
il usually keeps the patient in bed
four or five days.
Government in Ice Business.
The government has a 81. 100000 ice
plant at Manila that turns out 500 tons
OF ice daily. The ice is supl-@. TO the
soldiers and sailors en- hoard ship. and
what is not used that way is sold to
the people of Manila. Cavite and other
places, and to merchant vessels The
drinking water is sterilized wherever
the government has found ii possible
10 do so.
The military government has taken
a back seat and the islands are now
under civil rule. Conditions are i'm
proving ali the time. 1t is true that
they were very bad for years. but that
was owing 10 the troubles the govern
ment inherited from the Spanish regi-
me. Except the occasional outbreaks
of scattered bands OF l2ZaTOnes the ISL
ands are peaceful. In order TO bring
about this condition il was found nee
essary TO eXpel many white men who
had been discharged from the army
and who We're really worse than the I
natives. having absorbed all their vices
without any of their redeeming traits !