The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-03-24
MORO BAND AT BAY
BROADER GENERAL PERSHlNG
TELLS OF CONQUEST.
Commander Of Philippine Army Re-
Iates Various Stages Of Quelling
the Stubborn Ones Among
Islanders.
BY ]. J. PERSHlNG.

(Brigadier General in command Of
United States Philippine Army)
There is but one God and Moham-
med is his prophet" This is the be-
lief of Mohammedans the world over,
and this is the belief of the Moros
Of the Philippines. During the early
period of American occupation of Lake
Lanao, the Moros were very anxious
to learn our position on religious mat
ters, and during every conversation
would turn to that subject. One day
leading datto brought the attri-
butes of the Mohammedan God into
the discussion. When he had fin
ished, said: "Why, our God is the
same as your God," which the inter-
prefer translated in such way as to
give him the idea that I thought there
was more than one God. Whereupon
he gave utterance to the sentence
above quoted.
The question of religion presents
more peculiarities of Moro conduct
than any other. The religion he pro-
fesses seems fitted to his general char
acter. Knowing the Moro it can be
readily understood that when the Mo-
hammedan propagandists of the four
teenth century approached him, their
creed was unhesitatingly accepted as
especially suited to his purposes in
life. To carry fire and the sword
appealed at once to his Malay nature.
In accepting this religion he at once
adopted, in all it's intensity, it's &C.
compartment, blind hatred Of all
things Christian. The Moro knows
little even Of the Mohammedan reli-
gion, as his instruction amounts only
to poor reading of the Koran without
understanding much about it's mean
Ing but he does know that Moham-
med conducted holy war against
Christians, and, following this exam
pie, he generally looks upon it as
meritorious thing to kill and rob
Christians. His religion has made of
him fanatic. Under it's inspiration
he fiercely charges single-handed a
line of attacking infantry, or dies sing
ing war songs amid the burning en-
bers of the Gotta he has defended.
Independent of religious beliefs, he
considers himself the rightful owner
of the country he has inhabited for
generations, Notwithstanding certain
concessions he may have made touch
ing his allegiance to Spain or our
own. country. This assumed lordship,
acknowledged from time immemorial
by surrounding peoples and tribes, has
become so deep rooted in his mind
that he resents the slightest indica-
ton of encroachmcnt or interference.
Governments or private persons who
fall under his suspicion on these
grounds are at once classed as enc
mics.
The Moro regards an enemy as law
full prey, whose person or property
may be confiscated without any viola
ton of the Moro conscience. Even
those few dattos who are classed as
upright, and whose friendship and
loyalty to us is we'll known, frequent
ly possess themselves of the carabaos
or other property of those with whom
they are at enmity. Slavery thus nat
urally becomes legitimate and justi-
fable institution. In peace or in war,
the supremacy of the datto over his
followers is the force that makes ac-
complishment possible. His word is
law unto his people, no matter how
heinous the crime he wishes commit
ted. No case is known where sacope
(follower) ever raised his hand
against the sacred person of his datto,
SO ingrained and universal is the ac-
acknowledgement of datto's authority.
This unflinching obedience adds but
another link to the chain Of Obstruc-
ton that bars progress in the solu-
ton of the Moro problem.
Such characteristics we'll qualified
Moros to maintain themselves as the
pirates of the Sulu seas. Whole pueb-
los along the Visayan coast were cap
tured and the people sold into slavery.
For many years the Spaniards were
unable to prevent piracy. Even Ma
Mia was more than once the OBJ
ject Of slave-hunting expeditions, and
nearly every Filipino town in the
southern half of the archipelago was
fortified against them. The archbishop
of Cebu reported that no less than
1000 souls were taken into captivity
in one year.
When the Spaniards under Legaspi
came to the Philippines in 1871, they
found two Moro chiefs in power in
Tondo and Manila, who, however, were
soon converted to Christianity. But
the Mohammedan religion had taken
firmer hold in Mindanao and Sulu. To
these Mohammedans the Spaniards
gave the name of Moros, and regard
ed them with the same hatred they
had held toward the Barbary Moors of
Spain. Thus they were enemies from
the start, and through all the $50 years
there existed only unfriendly rela-
lions, embittered as time went on by
acts of cruelty and treachery on both
sides. During this period all other
tribes and peoples in the islands came
under Spanish rule, yet the Mindanao
Moros never permitted Spain to OBJ
tain more than temporary foothold