The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-16
RACE SNOBBISHNESS
| In THE PHILIPPINES
SAID TO BE A SOURCE OF MUCH
Discomfort.
Little or No Social intercourse Between
Native Aristocracy and tho Ameri-
cans In Manila-Barrier Raised by
the American Women - Impatience
md Hardness with Servants Are
Pronounced.

Mrs. Herbert Parsons In the independent.
Race snobbishness seems to be the
source seut Of much OF the present discon
administration. ffR Rs' are rel. in Maniia@
| shall speak only Of Manila, where
had opportunities for personal observa-
| tlon. but the same conditions are re-
| ported to exist in the provinces, prob
ably less marked, however-there are
in Manila many cultivated and wealthy
Spanish or Chinese] families who i've
in considerable comfort and luxury.
Their houses are large and well, altho
somewhat archaically, furnished. They
have carriages, In some cases automo-
! biles, Jewels and lavish wardrobes. One
or more members Of family have u.s.
ually travelled abroad, and perhaps lived
for some time in Europe. Between this
Manila there is at present little or no
social intercourse, altho the natives
have deep sense Of hospitality and
are devoted to social festivity.
1t Is not difficult to see at once that
this barrier Is raised up by the Ameri-
women. I met American ladies who had
never been inside Filipino house. At
the two entertainments given to the
Taft party which the Flipinos to any
extent attended, no resident American
women danced with Filipino partners
except In the case Of one square dance,
where the ranking American woman
Secretary Taft's example, he dancing
with the hostess and she with the host
Excepting three or four school teachers
and the wife of one American official,
who was interested in introducing
housekeeping classes into the school
system, met during the week that I
was in Manila not a single American
any kind in the welfare or progress of
the Filipinos.
1mpatience with and harshness to-
, ward native servants was the Amen-
can housekeeper 3 usual attitude. One
woman told me that she was so disgust
ed with her "boys" that when they
didn It carry out her orders she threw
things at their heads. This, Of course,
was an extreme case, but there is little
or no attempt to train the much com
, planned Of nboys.' It must be &C.
{ knowledged that the climate bears very
hard on the American woman, apparent
| ~ harder on her than on her husband or
. father. She soon loses her color and
her energy, not to speak Of her temper,
the more readily, probably, because her
life is SO fruitless and SO ill-adapted to
J climatic conditions. Late hours, badly
than card playing do rot fulfll what
seems to be necessary hygienic condi
|, tions in the tropics, i.e., q certain
amount Of hard work or exercise, much
> sleep and much nourishment. Poor
a health, whatever the cause, is probably
! In part responsible for the American
woman g tnertness in assuming the very
, plain obligations that meet her in the
, Philippines; but unintelligent and sci
fish race prejudice is only too plainly
/ and neglectfulness.
, The entertainment Of tho Taft party
Q furnished many Illustrations Of thi!
: neglect Of native society. It was statet
q to me, and, as far as could, verified
q the statement that not single Filipino
lady was invited to meet Miss Roose
| welt or the ladies Of the party at any O.
q the dinners given in their honor. SOM
y Of the bachelor members Of the unoffi
I cfa1 party and a few. Of the younge
g congressman were assigned to Filipin,
!, families, but even in these cases, in tn
e more or less public discussion Of enter
r tainment plans the feelings Of the Fill
!. pinos were outraged by the open ques
= tioning Of their means Of entertainin,
e the American visitors. One Filipin,
d lady who has always kept an excellen
Y table was told that If she wished to en-
. terrain two members of the unofficia
Q party she must engage Chinese cook
8 The statement was made in one of tn
n American newspapers that it was hope,
that Miss Roosevelt would not be see,
dancing with any "gug'-an Ameri
~ can term Of contempt for the Filipino
tainments, Secretary Taft probably ap
d preciated the exclusion Of the native
from any important part in it, for h
himself planned for the one native en-
tertainment given to the American Wis
d conformable to the usages Of polite SC
3. ciety, by the way, Of all the festivities
'e This social neglect Of the Filipinos b
le the Americans is probably felt all tn
{. more keenly at present because Of it
'f contrast with the tone set by Governo
IN and Mrs. Taft in the past. In their da
b. the Malacanan receptions were attent
ct ed by as many natives as American
ne Whereas, at the very crowded receptio
es given at the Malacanan to the Taft pa
g ty, but handful Of Filipinos were pre-
ID emit, in spite Of the attraction of TIL
TX presence of Miss Roosevelt and of the
re greatly beloved ex-governor. Moreove
n it was said that even the Filipinos pre-
yh emit had to be especially urged to com
re The daughter of one Of the most prom
he nent native officials, cultivated an
ed distinguished lady, told me that und,
to no circumstances would she 90 to tt
Malacanan, as she understood that ST
ct was not welcome there. She adde
k that all her friends felt in the SAN
1t way. In pointing out the contrast
&C. past and present to me, another Filipi1
he lad showed me with pride a phot
hit graph taken Of herself with Mrs. Tai
both in Filipino dress,