The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-11-04
LIONEL; ARMY CAMP
Life of American Soldiers In Hos
tile Moro Land.
NOT MUCH TO AMUSE THEM.
Eighteenth infantry Chaplain Trying
to Erect Bungalow For Gymnasium,
Entertainments Rooms and Chapel.
Dangers Keep Men Partly Prisoners
at the Post.

III AAiutI-LnS nOOmS ana NO6pels
Dangers Keep Men Partly Prisoners
at the Post.
A letter describing conditions among
the soldiers in a United States army
camp of the Philippine Islands Min
danao) has been recently received by
an acquaintance of DR.. William 0. Still
man, president of the American HUI
name association, at Albany, and he
has obtained a copy for distribution.
The writer is a 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 un-
der Spanish control for nearly 400
years. there are but two points at
which the Spaniards established per-
manent stations, and they are both Oh
the seashore. At nc time did they sue
coed in subduing the natives or giving
them an idea of a civilized form of gov
eminent.
"As you are perhaps aware, a sort
OF feudal system exists among these
people. Each datto has his Gotta, or
fort, has slaves and a number of wives,
according to his wealth. Near the
stronger posts the slave trade is near
~ 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 a
perverted form of Mohammedanism
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. A
thousand men constitute II 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
/ and 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and
then special precaution is taken for
their safety. On post at night the sen
tinels walk in pairs, Il behind the
other, to prevent being cut up by
skulking Moros. Two months ago
5000 rounds were fired into the bar
racks Of 4 ~constabulary company about
a mile and 4 half from our home. 1t
was at 10 o'clock. and we heard the
shooting plainly. The Moros We're driv-
en- off with but slight loss Of life.
"All Of the life Of our men must be
spent right in the post. We have a
short dry season when it is fairly
pleasant, but most Of the year 1t rains
heavily every day, S % that outdoor
sports are not possible. There is abso-
lutely no assembling place in the post
for these men. There was an old straw
building that l 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 1t.
"The men out Of their $13 per month
last pay day gave $3.50 toward the cree
ton Of a building, This expresses to
any n familiar with the army more
strongly than anything l car say the
great need of the building. The plan is
to buy logs from the friendly natives
(there are no trees on the reservations,
and the men will use a small sawmill
we have Oh 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 set
1t up. We want a chapel large enough
to seat $50 men. The building will
have a metal roof.
Fortunately II Of our officers is an
experienced engineer. He has made
the plans for the building and will SUI
perintend the labor Of the men in con.
structing it. OF course it will cost
more than the amount the men have
given to start 1t, but they are confiden,
that If the matter is properly present
ed to friends in the home land enough
subscriptions will be made to carry il
through. They have already got the
first big lot of logs In and are at work
Captain Burt, who has made the es.
sAANNs says SauS WV, Al ANOASlOu ~
what we have, will complete the build.
ing. have no wealthy friends in the
States to whom to appeal. The gov
eminent 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.
zenith 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 l did, and when l arrived l found
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 chap.
lain to provide encouragemelE. rccrc.
alton, those things which will contrib.