Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-09-17
LONELY ARMY CAMP
Life of American Soldiers In Hos
tile Moro Land.
NOT MUCH TO AMUSE THEM.

A leCter describing cOnOluOnS among
the soldiers In a United States army
camp of the Philippine Islands (Min-
danao) has been recently received by
an acquaintance of DIR. William o. Still
man, president of the American HUI
name association, at Albany, and he
has obtained copy for distribution
The writer Is chaplain, John T. AK
ton, of the Eighteenth infantry, whose
camp Is pictured. His letter in part
follows:
Camp Keithley is GOO miles south
Of Manila, on the large island of Min
danao, in hostile Moro territory. AL
though this region was nominally I'M
der Spanish control for nearly 400
years. there are but two points at
which the Spaniards established per
manent stations, and they are both on
the seashore. At no time did they sue
ceed in subduing the natives or giving
them an idea of a civilized form of gov
ernment.
"As you are perhaps aware, sort
of feudal system exists among these
people. Each datto has his Gotta. or
fort has slaves and number of wives,
according to his wealth Near the
stronger posts the slave trade is near
ly broken up now, and polygamy will
eventually be abolished. When not at
war with the whites these dattos prey
upon each other Their religion is Il
perverted form of Mohammcdanism
and Is very hard to fathOm
1--WE are stationed twenty miles in
land. The post is reached by a noun
tain trail, over which only heavily
armed parties can travel in safety. \
thousand men constitute our garrison,
and, while some of the natives near
the post are friendly, the general con
dition Is such that men are not al
lowed out of the post except between
l and o'clock in the afternoon, and
then special precaution is taken for
their safety On post at night the sen
tinels walk in pairs. one behind the
other, to prevent being cut up by
skulking Moros. Two months ago
5000 rounds were fired into the bar
racks OF constabulary company about
mile and a half from our home. 1t
was at 10 O'Clock, and we heard the
shooting plainly. The Moros were driv-
en- off with but slight loss of life.
"AlI of the life OF our men must be
spent right in the post. We have a
short dry season when 1t is fairly
pleasant, but most of the year 1t rains
heavily every day, 30 that outdoor
sports are not possible. There is abso-
lutely no assembling place in the post
for these men. There was an old stra w
building that / used for about two
months. We had braced the walls with
bamboo and repaired the roof with
grass. but that became so dilapidated
that we considered it unsafe and had
to abandon ii.
THE men out of their SIS per month
last pay day gave $3.50 toward the cree
ton of a building This expresses to
any one familiar with the army more
strongly than anything l can say the
great need of the building. The plan is
to buy logs from the friendly natives
There are no trees on the reservation.
and the men will use a small sawmill
we have on the reservation to saw
them into lumber. The logs are already
coming In, and we have plans made for
a building of the bungalow type. adapt
ed TO this climate, containing all of the
usual features OF an institutional
church-reading room, writing room
games, library, small gymnasium. The
apparatus IS here, but no place to sol
1t up. We want Il chapel large tnoUe'
to seat $50 men. The building will
have Il metal roof.
''Fortunately one of our officers is uu
experienced engineer. He has mad,
the plans for the building and will au
perintend the labor of the men in cua-
structinG 1t. OF course it will COS,
more than the amount the men have
given to start it, but they are confident
that If the matter is properly present
ed to friends in the home land enough
subscriptions will be made to carry ii
through. They have already got the
first big lot of logs in and are at work
Captain Burt, who has made the es-
innate, says that $500, in addition to
what we have, will complete the build
ing. | have no wealthy friends in the
States to whom to appeal. The gov
ernment has no appropriation for this
purpose, and so l am writing you III
the hope that you may be willing and
able to include this among your gifts
for benevolent purposes.
This is the third tour of the Eight
eenth infantry In the Philippines, and
| have not previously seen a situation
quite the equal of this. Our men are
all very, very young, most of them
away from home for the first time.
They came out here four months be
fore did, and when arrived | foun :
them, both officers and men, saying
When the chaplain comes something
will be doing to break this awful mo.
notony.' 1t is the duty of the chan
lain to provide encouragement, recre.
alton, those things which will contrib,
ute to tie contentment, moral and re-
ligious instruction and be real friend
to these boys for whom hearts in the
States are yearnlng.
I'VE do not expect to get home un-
til Christmas, 1900, and if our tour
here Is to be at all satisfactory. if the