The Cairo bulletin., 1908-11-10
NEW TOWN MODEL
FILIPINO VILLAGE IS RUN IN
YANKEE FASHION.
General Bliss Report Of Conditions IN
Dependencies Tells OF Efforts to
Give Natives a Clean Mu-
nictpality.


Within earshot OF the bueles OF I'm
Gle Sam and on the opposite side OF
the Agus river from the military post
of Camp Keithley, District of l.anao,
Moro Province, p, l., has sprung up
the town of Dansalan. which Gen,
Ta3ker H. Bliss. L S, A, in his annual
report SAYS is probably the first and
only instance in the Philippine Islands
of the establishment of an orderly ana
wellregulated community after me
manner followed by the Anglo-SaXon
settlers OF the United States, Ills
description OF its beginning throws an
instructive sidelight upon the strange
land laws" OF the country and shows
how things often have TO be done there
outside the pale OF the law to obtain
results that are demanded by the
needs Of the people.
The new town grew out OF the ne
cessity Of removing the settlement
OF sQuatters al Marahui on the mill.
tary reservation Of Camp keithley. AT.
ter much delberation they decided to
transfer themselves from the northern
to The eastern shore of Lake Lanao
They hen raised by voluntary sub
scription the sum OF 5000 pesos, which
they placed in the hands of a commit
tee Of three Americans OF their mum.
Der. who negotiated with the Moros
for an eligible site near enough to the
military reservation to be assured Of
some protection. and purchased 1t. The
site was then carefully laid out. and in
accordance with a previous agreement
lets We're sold al public auction TO an
amount sufficient to reimburse the sub.
scribers Of the original purchase price
of the site. The femaining lots were
then decided toSthe town to be sold
TO new settlers
This welEconsilered, orderly and
sensible procedure Is, strange to say.
in IT'S entirety without sanction OF
law the report admits. Neither the
datto. with whom the settlers negotiat-
ed, nor any OF his followers had proved
nor could prove title under existing
laws Neither the individual settlers
nor the town could acquire title
through the datto But the datto and
all his followers believed that the land
belonged to him under Moro law o.
customs and thai he could dispose OF
il as he did If he settlers had not
recognized these believed rights of his.
if they had camped upon the site as
being waste, unOccupied, uncultivated
public land and should have proceeded
to acquire title under the provisions
of the land law whenever the latter
should be made to apply, without com
pensauon TO the MOros, they would
have brought on a war There can
be no doubt that their recognition Of
the fact that the Moro was there with
his gun and his spear and that his
gun and spear Tin the absence of a
greater number Of opposing guns
gave him a valid title fer which they
had to negotiate, was the only sen
sible, civilized and just thing for them
TO do No doubt the rights they have
thus acquired will in due time be
confirmed
A narrow-minded stickler for equity
might in this instance, as probably in
many others, have brought on hos
ulities which the tact of an army af.
ficer was able to avoid. A novel fea.
ture in this case is that the mass Of
the settlers are not Anglo-S Saxon with
a long inheritance Of the principles OF
independent and seligoyeruing village
life but are Chinese japanese, Fill.
pinos and Moros who, without hesita.
ton. submitted themselves to the dom
inatlon and guidance OF a few Ameri-
cans. 1T is an illustration of what
would happen could a sufficient mum.
Der OF American settlers of the old
sturdy slock-iust such as those who
are already heFe-be induced to set.
tie in the province"
In the country occupied bv the Ii
rurayes south OF Cotabato Gen. Bliss
finds territory especially inviting
to the investor The people are teach.
able, and with kind and just treatment. I
would become reliable laborers. 40
white man, however, should invest
either his own labor or his capital
without assurance Of this native labor.
The people are kindly disposed toward
the white men. which cannot be said
of the Moros, who. paradoxically. |
like the white mans government. |
which is just and arm. but have no
liking for the white man himself"