Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-06-27
JAP SPIES WORK.
Preparing Data on the Philip
pine Islands According
to an American.
CLOSE WATCH MAINTAINED
Little Brown Men, Ostensibly on Pros
pecting Tour, Perfect Code
of Signals.

1ndI Ine 1nlIpplneS are the neld or
operations of clever Japanese spies.
who are constantly acquiring data con-
corning the islands affairs in general
and the American situation in particu-
lar, Is the assertion of J. w. Cline, a
native of Harrsonburg, Va, who ar
rived in New York recently from Ma
Mia after completing three years as an
educator at Apart, $50 miles north OF
Manila. says the New York Herald
The last year of Mr.. Clines service
was as supervisor of school districts
This placed him directly in touch with
the natives and afforded him an ex-
cellent opportunity to study conditions
at close range.
Mr.. Cline tells of the discovery by
Inspector Jlmenes of the United States
service that n party of mysterious Jap
anese were signaling across the strait
to Formosa, which is a Japanese DOS
session.
Ostensbly they were prospecting
They We're watched closely. however,
and Inspector Jimenes questioned them
and persons with whom they had talk
ed. They intimated that they were
merely looking over the country to see
what it was capable of in the agricul-
tural line. Not swallowing their story
without the usual grain of salt, the in
speCtor decided to maintain close
watch.
One morning he discovered that the
Japanese had vanished. He found that
tIn,. LII
for Santo Domingo da Bosca. He fol
lowed overland, and when he made
that town he learned that they had as
cended n high mountain at the north
erly extremity, veritable natural sig
nal station, and were signaling to For
mOSa.
This is but one of many similar in
stances which carefully have been re
corded in General Leonard Woods big
! book at Manila, perhaps for future ref
| erenCe
That the japanese contemplate pos
session of the Philippines at a period
| perhaps not so remote as may general
| ly he supposed is common belief among
Americans at Manila and all other
| places" said Mr.. Cline. The under
current of independence sentiment is
| strong. and only the closest observa-
! ton and sternly repressive measures
keep the situation in hand. The Phil
| ippine natives never will abandon their
| cherished sentiment of ultimate free
dom. And it is upon this knowledge,
| which. by the way, Is encouraged by
the yellow race, that Japan relies
much.
"A Japanese protectOrate. if not all
solute possession. is the first aim of
the Japanese, according to deduction
and belief among Americans who think
and exnress honest thought
| Americans Are Leaving.
That trouble is coming is felt by
most Americans there, and there are
more persons coming home than are
going out Really an American civil
| evacuation may he said TO have begun.
cone prominent Filipino. DOminador
Gomez, a leading politician. who has
not yet been arrested nor in any way
molested, n few weeks ago publicly
United States and Japan the Filipinos
will not assist the United States
The Americans have treated the
orientals too well. The orentals are
cyclists to the last degree. and because
of American courtesies and kindness
we have come to be regarded as easy
marks
I'VE heard much of the San Francis
co affair, and army men look grave
when discussing 1t. That the Japanese
are magnifying things which occiden-
tails would consider trivial is admitted
by all. and the sentiment is that ia
pan. ready at this moment for war. is
nagging and whining and worrying the
United States, planning to evoke hostil-
files.
DO not place too much credence in
oriental diplomacy. They are mild.
wait, watch. salaam and are kind, but
when the moment comes. when you
are unaware, the blow will fall with
suddenness. Things in the orient must
be directed with caution and firmness
IL war with Japan Is to he avoided