Charlevoix county herald., 1909-09-11

"i0"elo vi the RIM " ~ I(|HLL
constabuary. with OyE TEAR IN SER
the backing Of
small detchments
Of the Twentythird and Twenty-ffth <S@A
United States infantry, chased the Z E%~s
'Would-be revoutionaries back into w.
the businesses of the DavaOan hills s111sss5s "
and, within as hours or ne first no V$Ess|
tce of the difficulty reaching head 49,
quarters the first internal serious SNzsSs
trouble since the organization of the 49,
corps was at an end 49,
The Philippine constabulary was w
organized just nine years ago At the
conclusion Of the instruction of
lS99-l9C0 the military governor of "
the Philippines, Gen. Arthur Near
thur issued the following order:
''In order to encourage among the I
people the idea of selfprotection
against robbers and rowing bands of
criminals. with which the country
iabounds, department commanders are
authorized 10 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 1t is desired that the organiza-
the scope of action extended so as to make
these constabuary bodies by means of mount
ed attachments, conservators of the peace
and safety of districts, instead of combining
their operations to areas limited by the boun-
daries of towns and barracks.
Department commanders are empowered to
enforce the provisions of this order by appro-
pirate instructions"
BY the autumn of 1900 some organization of
February, 1901, the Philippine government
had, in addition to the army and the native
scouts then on duty. an embryo of the present
efficient constabulary force numbering 2,571
men
The newly organized body had an amusing
completely of personnel and diversity of ar
mament 1t included every race and every
color. every language and every degree of
civilization from cultured Castilians of the
Malecon drive to the dusky savage of Minda-
mao and Negros. The catalogue of their weap-
ons was fully mixed their racial afila-
lions.
The organization grew in numbers and in
popularity. At first the illdisposed were prone
to take chances with the little "coppers."
They had seen them as soldiers of the army
of Agunaldo driven from point to point by
the husky soldiers of the United States until
they had become imbued with the idea that
ment. 1t took but few brushes with them
to show that they had gained something Of
Uncle Sans determination to do things in his
own way and when the way of the preserver
of order and the native disorganizer ran
counter something had to drop, and drop hard.
Gradually the good work Of the constabulary
became understood and with the spread of
their reputation for keeping things straight
the minor disorders of the urban and agricul-
tural communities became fewer and fewer.
When at the last pacification of the civil
lied and semicivilized portions of the islands
became an established fact the constabulary
took I'D the work of teaching the hill tribes
the head hunters and professional ladrones
that the plying of their various forms of nefa
rious business Or pleasure anywhere near a
constabulary post was highly unwholesome
pastime. When the illmen and others got
enough of going out trouble hunts the con
stabuiary organized little trips their owr
account and went back into the woods to drae
out the real bad men and teach them the art
of behaving themselves even under their owr
vines and banana trees.
One of the most remarkable things abou
the organization of the constabuary has beer
their extreme amenability to discipline anC
their readiness to assimilate western ideas o.
conduct and department by the members o.
the force. In the illustrations will be noticed
photographs of a detachment of Moro and Su
bano recruits. These pictures of the same
group of men were taken only four months
apart. In the first the barefoot disheveled
turbaned band had just entered the service