Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-02

the Rongot 1gorot division there are
over 500 men, and the Moros number
about T50. These organizations are d!.
vided into battalions and companies,
and are Differed by Americans. and on
drill or parade they have that easy.
| confident air of the seasoned veteran.
The Bongot Igorots were the first
to organize, in 1900. Originally they
were head hunters and fatalists. The
advances Of the American emissaries
made them suspicious at first, but
when it was seen that the first COM
pany organized was quartered in the
old Spanish barracks and given good
food and clothing the distrust faded.
Many friends came to see them which
spread such news quickly, and the bal.
ance OF the companies were easily re
cruited.
1t was just about year after the
Bongot Igorcts were organized that
Gen. Leonard Wood. then governor OF
the Moro provinces. tackled the even
more difficult work of organizing
constabulary from the Moros. The
Moros were SC named by the SpaHi-
ards just after their expedition against
Morocco, because they 50 resembled
the dark men of the desert In traits.
too, they were very similar.
Gen. Wood sent five selected Ameri.
can officers to the five different Moro
districts. What those officers found
were obstacles almost insurInounta5ia.
In ore district alone enc officer tnanf
is entirely distinct dialects and ALSO
lutely foreign to each other, and in
The provinces nine out Of every ten ma.
tives were mongsel Mohanmedans.
died to the 2ioslem customs.
Tie Guickress wish which the Moros
took up the work was even more sur
prsing than in the case Of the Bon
got Igorots. The Americans found that
their greatest fault was unbTd'ed i'm
pulses. a firm leader was ali they
needed, and the American army dr!ll
sergeant supplied that want. From 4
line of ili-shaped. awkward recruits
they soon began 10 show the marks OF
the military man.
But The carbre ms tho greatest
asis.a-- - OH wj1a hey G?st handled
>-aHa. aa. t.,r G.E X
.g r.y .-c."ea ay.tG.a-| r. wa;
orl; 81 10 oar.s ~ lsa"el 1,'e IL
-:cg.e mechanism and 'hs rccoii Of
shc s,.cta. :. month passed before they
r,sr, f,,ci,v nrT.-alo! 70 nick Up tn
guns with tnat ease necessary 70 mas
IL" r.e .GG"Hai nf @rma.
bncug me aIc~o organizations Mo
nrrn1ars aaa Ajia are as common az
tac Smiths a1d JoGoscs in tic hm"r!-
can array. in. rho fact that it is next
10 impossible 10 scnararc the Monam-
mcaan from his customs PITT the brains
OF lie Americans 20 the most severe
test in scherlinm in selecting the prop
or clothing, food and the organization
of the companies.
When bacon and pork was first
served with the army ration the sons
, Of Mohammet stood aghast Moham.
met had decreed what kinds OF meat
his followers shall eat. and how it
shall be prepared. and each company.
therefore. has two cooks. two sets OF
cooking utensils. and two kinds OF ra'
tons issued for the Christian and Mo-
hammedan members.
Both the Bongots and Moros were
quick to appreciate the change which
soldier life made in their condition. In
four months the Moro contingent was
transformed from dirty, indo!ent
semi-savage set OF men to trim, am
bilious American soldiers. AT first they
objected to the two-year enlistment,
but good clothes. regular meals and
money in their pockets at the end OF
each month opened their eyes. They
were conditions which they had never
experienced, and as they are inveter-
ate gamblers, the money proposition
especially pleased them.
The Malays are race which has
the greatest respect for firmness and
strength OF character. and they adj
| miied the ways CT the american SOL
| der because the strict discipline indi-
Gated those traits. Nobility. also. has
| existed among the race for genera
tons, and it has created desire to ex-
eel in blood and rank equal To the zeal
of some Of the great European houses
OF royalty.
Some of these men are in every COM
narv, and in their race for cheyrcns
of non-comnissioned rank they have
created q spirit of competition that
has wonderfully increased the eff
! ciency. Being therefore well trained as
2 soldier of great government. they
are locked up to as a class by the na-
tive5.
ALFRED c. PlCkELLS.