The Glenwood post., 1907-09-21

cry form of crime was running RIO
here when the Americans assumed re
sponsibility for the future good behav
lor of the Moro population.
Sawyer, the historian, writing o
Mindanao during the year 1899, said
"The present condition of the islam,
is most lamentable. Nothing could b.
more dreadful; robbery, outrage an'
murder are rampant. Every evil pas
sion is let loose, and the labor of year
has been lost. In the words of one VIII,
knows the country well, Mindanao ha
become a seething hell and is in con
dition more dreadful tina, ever befor,
in historic times"
In the Cotabato valley, under the
leadership of Dattos Ali and Djimban
gan, the Moros sacked the town of Co
tabato, killing many of the principa
inhabitants, stripping all the Christian
women naked and marching them il
this condition through the streets, and
after selecting those whom they want
ed, distributing the remainder among
their followers.
Under the Bates treaty but slight
Improvement in the conduct of the Mo
ros was observed. While slavery as
an institution was prohibited on paper
no interference with it was undertaken
until the formation of civil government
in the Moro province under the COVER
norship of Major General Leonard
Wood. The policy of non-interferenct
in the domestic affairs of the Moros by
former military commanders, and Gov
ernor WOODS policy of enforcing the
laws he found here, caused many fight.
with the war-like Moros, eliminating
in the famous battle of Mt. Dajo
where some one thousand Mohammedar
fanatics met their death at the hand,
Of the American soldiery.
While this fight has by no mean,
blufied the the Moro, the outcry from
America has blutfed the government
with the result that conditions are fast
settling back into their former iawless
state
The Incorporate criticism of the
American press created some alarm
here lest it might result in holding
back all enforcement of law calculated
to bring about further trouble with
the Moros. The local paper here voir.
ing this dread, in its issue of April 2s
1906, had the following to say:
owe do not believe that the Ameri
can people are so wrought up over the
Mount Dajo affair as appears on the
surface. Way down deep in the hearts
of an overwhelming majority of our
people there is an abiding faith that
our soldiers are incapable of atrocious
acts. The worst feature of the eriti
cism INDUCED in is that it may result
in checking the spontaneous perform
ance of duty by our soldiers, thereby
creating an intoerable state of af
fairs in this province. They can hardly
be blamed for hesitating at the per
formance of duty which earns then
abuse. We trust, however, that that
spirit which has ever guided our people
in their march to higher and better
things will prevent them from haltine
at the performance of a plain duty
even though the whole world indulge
in morbid criticism
Without the restraining influence OF
American troops today, the Moros of
Mindanao would ensavc the Filipino
people residing in the towns and then
would begin a movement against the
northern islands as of old. No force
the Filipinos, with their limited means
could oppose to the Moros, would long
keep them back.
The Moro is Unique.
AS a fighting machine the Moro i:
unique in human species. In four fight:
in this province, some two thousant
Moros have been engaged, all dying
practically to man. Opposed to sucl
fighters, the naturally timid Filipino
could not hold their own to exceed ;
year.
If, however, the American people arr
determined to try the experiment o
an Oriental republic, and are willing t.
risk the humiliation of failure, | vii
point out in my next letter how tn
Moro country can be turned to advan
tage in assisting the Filipinos ON thei