Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-11-25


" miles from Manila, there is
an island that temporarily
deserted by its foster parent, the
United States, is an easy prey for
| the wandering cruiser of any nation
| that may want to kidnap a Pacific
| naval base.
The American flag still floats over
the island of Guam, but the greater
part of the governing and protective
force recently sailed away to Manila
for it's annual vacation trip. EN-
barked on the station ship Supply,
which constitutes the entire navy of
the island, the governor, most OF the
marines and American officials left
| Agana.
For the next few weeks, while the
Supply is being overhauled at Manila
and the island officials are recuper-
ating at Philippine health resorts,
| Guam will be permitted to work out
its own salvation. protected from in
vasion only by handful of marines
| and the majesty and authority of the
| Stars and Stripes. But should any
nation or any filibustering expedition
proceed upon the idea that the United
| States is trying to lose" Its little
| possession, it would find that 1t had
| acted upon an entirely wrong theory.
This country is very busy just now
| trying to work out certain problems
| I'm Guam which may ultimately make
| that island a valuable part Of the ma
tional domain. Were the little speck
| of land to be turned over to some
other nation now 1t would be with a
| peck of troubles accompanying 1t that
| would cast a lasting suspicion over
| the efficiency of American civiliza-
| ton.
For Guam not only remains the
| most unique of the insular acquisi-
tons of Uncle Sam, but 1t has been
| found that in proportion to its size
| and importance 1t can furnish more
| troubles and perplexing problems
| than all the other island possessions
| that the Spanish war forced upon u.s.
A concrete example of the speed
| with which the cost of living, the
| rush of farmers to the cities and the
chase of the almighty dollar" in
| crease as Americans draw near, there
| is no equal TO this little Gem of the
! Mariannas," lying just of the track
! of American-Japan ocean travel
| When all OF these evidences of civil
! cation strike q land only thirty miles
long and six miles wide. and which
has never been self-supporting, they
produce a situation guaranteed to give
! sleepIess nights to those intrusted
with its solution.
The trouble with Guam Is not only
| that 1t has never been a self-support.
| Ing country but that American civil
| cation, so called. has introduced some
ideas of living that are cOmplicating
the situation more and more every
day. The cost OF ordinary supplies
has increased with jump; the sim
| pie Arcadlan tastes" Of the natives.
described by a former governor, have
been nursed into real American de-
sires and ambitions; and most seri-
Gus Of all, there has been rush Of
farmers to the city, which has com
pletely depopulated the ranches.
They Cult the Farm.
And the lure Of 1t all Is the gov.
eminent Job. When the United States
took hold Of the island, about seven
thousand of the eleven thousand ma
tives lived in the town Of Agana: but
every family had its ranch and made
It's real living out Of the soil When
the Guamite first heard Of "a days
work on a government Job" he didn't
appreciate its significance. He had
no use for money and continued to
squeeze his living out of the island
soil. the only method he knew of OBJ
tanning It.
| With naval repair shops, a water
works sys,em. bridges and roads IN.
der process If construction American
MONEY began % circulate freely, and
the Guam native suddenly awoke to
the full appreciation of the advan.