The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-25
BY an Officer Of the Administration

BY an Officer Of the Administration.
~ UR main dependence for the pres
ervation Of order in the Philip
pines must be the native soldier.
This is IN assured fact whose import
ance cannot be minimized, and whose
truth cannot be escaped. The questions,
then, as to how the native soldier is
shaping under drill; how far he prom
Uses to meet the great responsibilities
which will be thrust upon him inevita-
bly,; and how firmly he will be able to
resist the communicating influence Of in
surrectionary organizations in the fu-
ture, are questions Of national import
ance and Of interest to every citizen.
BY way of reporting progress in these
respects, this article deals with the Phil
ippine constabulary, an entirely new ex-
pertinent in American administration,
and the measure Of success which has
attended it up to the present time.
At the close Of the war the Philippine
commission found themselves confront
ed with most difficult and compi-
Gated problem. How were they to main
tain peace, law and order in a country
of many distinct Malay tribes, differing
in customs, modes Of thought, language
and religion, and numbering 100000
Of peoples Moreover, the condition of
the country was far from normal, be-
cause years Of war and rebellion had
disorganized the social structure, led
the popular mind away from the arts
and habits Of peace, and filed the coun-
try with lawless bandits, who promised
to maintain for long time a social
state of criminal unrest.
The Constabulary Organized
The answer was the passage of an en-
aetment dated July IS, 1901, which Gre
ated the Philippine constabulary, a
scheme which proposed to make into
disciplined soldiers the native Filipinos,
and use them, under a foreign flag, to
rule their own people and govern their
own land. The vital question, which
time alone could answer, was how far
the native Filipino was amenable to
military discipline and military drill.
To supply the American officers was
comparatively easy. Captain Henry T.
ALLEN of the Sixth United States caval-
ry was made chief Of the proposed con-
stabulary, with Captain David ]. Ba-
ker, Jr., of the Twelfth (now Twenty
sixth9 United States infantry as assist
ant chief. y At their disposal were a
large number Of volunteer officers who
had been mustered out Of service at the
close of hostilities, and Of non-commis-
stoned officers Of the regular establish
ment who could procure their dis
charges subject to slight limitations
These represented a large available
force of young men whose experience in
an efficient. army had made them wish
further military service, and who ca
gerly sought such an opening as the con
sstabulary plan furnished.
Officers Of varying grades were rapid
" mustered into the constabulary serv'
Ice. Captain W. s. Goldsborough, Ma
ior Wallace G., Taylor, Captains Howard
Atkinson and Jesse s. Garwood Were
commissioned as second, third, fourth
and fifth assistant chiefs respectively
and later under congressional authority
these additional army officers were de-
tailed to serve as assistant chiefs. These
were Captain w. s. Scott, First cavalry
Captain Harry H. Bandholtz, Second in
fantry, and Captain James G. HARDWOOD
E1eventh cavalry.