Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-05

tempt for cowardce and puerility. and
this is really the secret of the natives
disdain for the Chinese race. Under good
EurOpean officers they make excellent
soldiers. However. II their leader 1el!'
they would become at once demoral1Zed.
There is nothing they delight in more
than pllage. destruction and bloodshed,
and when once they become masters of
the situation in an ARRAY there is no
limit to their greed and savage cruelty.
Can They Be Trusted?
General Davis says: 1.-THE question is oc
casonally asked: Can the natives be
trusted as soldiers" The answer is that all
men are usually faithful to their own inter-
ests. The native regiments were not I'M
faithful to Spain in the rebellion of 1886. so
long as they were properly treated. One or
more of these regiments were comprised or
'disciplinario' or convicts. drafted into the
army 1t is notorious that In 1886 the pay
and allowances of the native soldiers were
long in arrears. The amounts allowed 10
the Spanish native private soldiers were:
Pay, 50 pesos; clothing. 3 pesos: total. %
pesos per year: which converted into gold
at the rates then current would give them
about $50 gold per annum. or >l.O per
month. The pay and clothing allowance OF
A native soldier In the United States army
is 5000 per month.
..The ra tions of a Spanish native soldier
was very nearly two pounds OF rice per day'
while the ratfons the United States issued
to our native soldiers costs the United
States about Is cents gold. Bringing all the
figures together. It results tn ma the na.ve
while the same man costs the United States
about $15 per month
Virtues and Vices.
gentleman who has been here since the
heginninp Of American occupation, and has
coma into continual contact with the bet
for cIass saws: "Virtues and vices. when
enumerated are essentially comparative
terms II we say the Filipino Is dishonest,
incanab,e unfaithful. unreliable. not loyal.
lacks integrity we could say the same
thing of the American; but II we were
comparing the two the Comparison ON. wou va.
favor the American Ability. staoiiity' re-
TO hii,tv atc are largely matters OF de-
gree The Filipino compared with the
american negro Is undoubtedly superior III
r,nst rasnects The character Of the train
mo ms, racsiyed by the Filipinos for hundreds
80 re.ra manifests itself every now ana
oe.in Contact and association with an
honest. upright, straightforward people wiz
,,,do,,htadIv work great changes In charac-
.n ia reinforcement. Considering their
a,,ino and experiences. 1t Is not surprls-
ING N thew are lacking IN omciai integfry.
but al, officiaIs in the United states are n9t
su.l.'e .s. E;iin,nos are now receiving OBJ
tect lessons in official integrity.
..I,ha class Of Filipfnos that enter the gov
ernment service are comparatively QUICK
.,,;ttad and possess large measure OF
sdsntah,iitv and along sorne lines possess
~ IN a marked degree Ihey use the pen
a,tisticaIiy and with facility and accuracy:
.rnc;,a Civil serSfce Examinations show
49,, to he fairly apt in' figures. in aritn-
metic On the other hand. the Filipino finds
dif,iculty in making g. terse and concise re-
port or statement 20 He Is verbose and re,
dundant. In the matter OF letter writing:
subject in all clerical examinations. his
stvie Ia not simple and direct, nor Is he able
70 adhere closely to the subject. He Is
more or less logical. but Is liable to start
ont with wrong premises The professions
~ law and medicine attract him. but he
ha. little of the German habit Of investiga-
ton. In argument he is frequently spectous.
not often profound. He has a taste for
music and is skillful with musical instru-
ments. The Filipinos are certainly polite.
and / believe their poiiteness is something
more than mere veneer There Is great
deal ~ good will and unselfshness. some
os thsm mead to learn the dignity of labor.
and they are learning ~.
at may reasonably be, said that the Fill
n,nos are tractable and that the possib;li-
Ties Of deyelopment as race fully warrant
the belief that they Will make rapid pro-
eress toward a higher state of civiliza-
tion."