Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-08-26
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small detchments
Of the Twenty-third and Twenty-ffth /N.A.
United States infantry, chased the 4
would-be revolutionaries back into ~
the Businesses of the Davaoan hills sy
and, within 4S hours OF the first no.
tice of the difficulty reaching head 49,
quarters the first internal serious
trouble since the organization of the
corps was at an end. w
The Philippine constabulary was W
organized just nine years ago. At the
conclusion Of the Instruction of
1S99-1s00 the military governor of
the Philippines, Gen. Arthur Near
thur, issued the following order:
In order to encourage among the
people the idea of self-pr0tection
against robbers and rowing bands Of
criminals with which the country
abounds department commanders are
authorized TO arm the local police in towns
where such action, in their Judgment. would
be prudent and expedient For this purpose
acquisitions may be submitted to the division
headquarters for caliber AS Colts revolvers
and an adequate supply of ammunition This
arm will be replaced at an early date by a
more suitable weapon.
For the better performance of the duties
contemplated it is desired that the organiza-
ton of police be systematized and, if possible
ln6 SCOpe OF dCIlOn EXTENDED so as to make
these constabulary bodies by means of mount
ed detachments. conservators of the peace
and safety Of districts, instead of confnine
their operations to areas limited by the boun
daries of towns and barracks.
Department commanders are empowered t.
enforce the provisions of this order by appro
pirate instructions"
By the autumn of 1900 some organization o
the constabulary had been effected and il
February. 1901 the Philippine government
had in addition to the army and the nativ,
scouts then on duty, an embryo Of the presen
efficient constabulary force numbering 2.57
men.
The newly organized body had an amusing
complexity of personnel and diversity of al
mament 1t included every race and ever
color, every language and every degree O
civilization, from cultured Castilians of tn
Malecon drive to the dusky savage of Minds
mao and Negros The catalogue of their wear
ons was fully as mixed as their racial ahilis
tons.
The organization grew in numbers and 1
popularity. At first the ili-disposed were prom
to take chances with the little "coppers
They had seen them as soldiers of the arm
of Aguinaldo driven from point to point b
the husky soldiers of the United States unit
they had become imbued with the idea thi
ment. 1t took but few brushes with thel
to show that they had gained something
Uncle Sans determination to do things in hi
own way and when the way of the preserve
Of order and the native disorganizer "a
counter something had to drop, and drop har
Gradually the good work Of the constabulai
, became understood and with the spread
their reputation for keeping things straigl
the minor disorders of the urban and agricu
tural communities became fewer and fewe
When at the last pacifcation of the civ
lied and semi-civilized portions of the islanC
became an established fact the constabulal
took up the work of teaching the hill tribe
the head hunters and professional ladron'
that the plying of their various forms Of nef
rious business or pleasure anywhere near
constabulary post was a highly unwholeson
pastime. When the hillmen and others g
enough of going out on trouble hunts the co
stabulary organized little trips on their ov
account and went back into the woocs to dr.
out the real bad men and teach then the a
of behaving themselves even under their ov
vines and banana trees.
One of the most remarkable things abo
the organization of the constabulary has be-
g their extreme amenability to discipline al
their readiness to assimilate western ideas
conduct and department by the members
the force. In the illustrations viii be MOTTO
photographs Of a detachment of Moro and S
n BANJO recruits These pictures Of the sar
group Of men were taken only four mont
apart In the first the barefoot dishevele
ulbaned band had just entered the servi