Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-02-26
I'm THE PHILIPPINES.
DIR. EDwORDS WRITES FROM OUR NEW
ISLAND POSSESSIONS.
Description Of Manila. The Peo-
pie. the Climate. the Development
Under American Supervision. and
the Native Filipino.

L..
at this port of our strangest possess
sions several days ago and have not
yet gotten over my feeling OF astonish-
ment. 1t is all so queer that one can
scarce comprehend it. We have here
the highest type of civilization side
| by side with the lowest type OF saw
agery, we have all the convenienees
and luxuries of modern life, and in
the next block natives live in abject
squalor in huts of palm leaves we see
elegantly dressed ladies and gentle
men riding in carriages and automo-
biles. on splendidly paved streets. and
a few blocks distant we find ancient
carts Of natives drawn by bullocks
over roads that would be a disgrace
to the least progressive American viii
lage.
These are first impressions one gets
when walking about Manila. There
is so much of contrast that one is kept
in constant state of bewilderment. L
see so many evidences of be!terment
owing TO American possession that I
feel sure that if we are given Just a
little time we shall make new
country out of the Philippines The
natives are beginning to realize that
American domination is for their
good They note the difference be-
tween the present and the past when
Spain held all this country for what
she could get out of it. Now every
thing is done for the betterment of
the islands and the people who live
here. There is an undeveloped empire
III these islands, and some day Ameri-
can people will wake mp 10 the fact
that here is opportunity for untold
riches to be carved out of undeveloped
industries. In the lumber business
alone millions Of dollars are to be
made, while the mining industry has
not been touched. Gold lies in the
hills in abundance, while lesser vaiu-
able metals are found everywhere.
Precious stones may be found in the
hills, while if the agricultural possi-
bilities were TO be fully developed the
results would astound the world.
There is magnificent opportunity for
manufacturing in many lines, and
some bright Americans have already
begun operations shat will make them
millionalres.
There is a general impression that
the climate is bad for white men. 1t
is mistaken idea. 1t is not the
climate that hurts whites but the
habits of the men. Most white men
who come TO this country get to
drinking and eating unusual things
and indulging in excesses which
would kill them as quickly in Ameri-
ca as here. They seem to feel that
they are away from all restraint be-
cause they are fal from the United
States, aud they do many things they
ought not TO do and do not do many
things they ought to do. consequently
they lose their vitality and readily
succumb to fevers which lie waiting
for ali with depleted systems. San-
tation in Manila has been greatly i'm
proved since American possession,
and as result there is much less
sickness than formerly. From stories
L have heard of the habits of the
Spanish have reached tie conclusion
that they were little worse in their
habits than the savages. There are
still few evidences of their filthiness
which show that whatever illness
they had was due them for their neg
lect of the simplest hygienic rules.
All this is changed now. and the city
of Manila is we'll severed and gov
erned by strict sanitary regulation.
The Filipino native in Manila is "a
queer mixture of Malay and Mongol.
and, as is always the case, the potent \
blood of the Mongol gives it's ineradi-
cable cast to the features. Chinese
men have come ta the islands for ages
and as they always came without
women the result has been strong
tinge OF the Mongol in all tribes
There is an amount of Spanish blood
here, too, and this makes the blood of
three of the five races in one people.
The result of this admixture of blood
is shown not only in feature and form
but also in character and disposition.
Fiercepess OF Malay, caution of Chin
csc. and deceit of Spanish makes a
combination hard to equal for all round
unreliability. Filipinos are strong
in their hatreds and also strong in
their likes. Ii you do them a favor
they remember il and strive to repay:
if you do them an injury they are
equally ready to remember and re-
venge. l find them kind and polite.
with readiness to oblige il you ap-
proach, them properly. but surly and
inhOspitable If rubbed the wrong way.
They have good deal OF ordinary
human nature in them in this respect,
and have found many Americans of
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