The Detroit times., 1911-08-12
EDUCATION NOT
GOOD FOR FILIPINO
Really Makes Him More Useless,
Says Michigan Woman. Home
From Long Stay on Islands.

II think I would rather live with
the mosquitoes OF the Philippines than
the flies of Michigan" was the declar-
alton of Mrs. Richard o. Boldt. a for
mer Michigan woman who has spent
the past three years In Manila. as she
sat In the reception room of the Hotel
Cadillac. Saturday morning. and bat
tied with the pesky little flies that
seemed unusually pestiferous, due to
the moist, warm atmosphere. II never
had any idea the American house ny
was such 'beastie' until this sum
mer," she continued. I'm Manila. the
mosquitoes are numerous and nasty,
but then we have the charming green
lizard to eat 'em up and the white
ant also acts as a scayenger for any
flies that might have a notion 70 live
In the Philippines"
Asked IL the crawling creatures
mentioned we're not In reality more
disagreeable to live with than a fly
Mrs. Boldt laughingly replied:
We'll, you know We are used TO
the lizards and ants and suppose like
everything else In this world, II Is en-
tirely a matter of familiarity"
Mrs. Boldt, who was born and raised
In Hudson, Mich, and educated In St
Mary's academy in Monroe, went to
the Philippines about three years ago
with her husband. who IL chief of the
photo engraving division OF the gov
eminent bureau of printing. stationed
| H.. ila DAaanaaAA ~ nttfaE
ception and good sound American
sense, Mrs. Boldt's residence In the
islands. has been productive OF fund
of wide knowledge and information,
and as the European women, In Ma
Mia, are not supposed to do any work
but "eat, sleep. play bridge and dress
In their prettiest frocks for the daily
sunset band concert" Mrs. Boldt EN-
ployed her waking moments to study
OF the life and conditions In the isl
ands.
"The more the Filipino is educated
the more actually useless he be-
comes" Is one Of Mrs. Boldt's conclu-
sions. THE Filipino learns every
thing by rote and not through intel
lect or reasoning power. II is COM
plete mystery to me how the Filipinos
sent to American schools and colleges
by the American government ever
pass the examinations. but they seem
ingly do, inasmuch as they return TO
the islands with their diplomas.
1.-The governments idea is to place
these educated Filipinos In govern
ment positions. When such thing
4. Ho,1a tha UiIiNIun inva rfn hlv falls
down. The Job. no matter what 1t
Is. seems TO prove too much for him.
He has no executive ability--no head,
In fact And the more education you
give the Filipino, the more discon-
tented he becomes. In the islands,
the various tribes--and there are III
or II tribes-have a deep-rooted ha'
tired for one another. Many OF these
tribes have no knowledge Of any other
tribe Many OF them are In a wholly
savage state. There Is no danger that
the discomfort with American rule will
ever make these tribes Join in COM
mon cause. The discomfort is entire
ly among the tribes with whom the
Americans have come IN contact, and
mostly among the Tagalogs, the pre-
dominate Christian tribe who live In
and around Manila.
The American government has ac-
complished wonderful results In the
sanitation and general cleaning up OF
the cities and places where the Euro
peans--as all whites are known In the
orient-live. in the islands, A fine
sewerage system In Manila has just
been completed at great cost. II is
very difficult work to teach the ma
tipes the eemmoRest rules OF santa
ton and hygiene. They persist In
building their houses without win
dows or other means of ventilation
and will keep their animals under the
house. Most OF the native quarter OF
Manila Is situated where the high tide
comes In, and when II recedes II leaves
dirty black scum, and the water. in
stead of cleansing the refuse under
a. - 80