The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-28
ny FRANK @. CARPENTER. /
- Epi Wnshinut n

z I asSsaNTssto toll you OF Uncle Sam'n
work In tho Philippine Islands.
- we have had possession Of them
Tor ever twelve years, ana 1t is high
time we were taking account OF stock
and knowing what iias been done.
They nro. as you know. under the War
Department, aud tho Bureau Of In-
sulur Affairs Is in constant commun,-
cation With them by travelling oiIlcinls
and by letters and cablegruns. 80 that
the exact situation can be at nny timo
known. | have spent this week talk
inE with General Clarence Edwards,
the head of that bureau, and In looking
over the reports which have recently
come. have also seen many OF tho
off1cers who are just back from there.
and aE result can give you up-to.duto
news.
The Philippines In 1912.
Most Of us know mighty little OF the
Philippines We think that they are q
lot OF tropical islands on the othcf
stde OF the Pacific. We have heard
thai the archipelago bumps It's lead
against the Island OF Forinusa. Which
now belongs TO tho Japanese. ana that
1t kicks It's foet about 1.2o0 miles
farther south--against the Island ot
Borneo. a possession Of the Dutch and
the British. We have heard thai China
W
out In the Pacific on the cast. but
just how big tho Islands are aud What
they contain Is II problem. That shall
leave for geography. Will only say,
That tho archipelago, including tho
water within it, would cover about
onc-fcurth of the United States proper
if 1t could be dropped down upon 1t;
that It comprises something like 5000
volcanic mountainous islands, and that
from cast to west It Is greater thuli,
the distance from Boston to Pitts,
burgh, and from north to- south about
ns long as from Philadelphia to
Omaha
The islands altogether have as much
land az New England. Luzon IL bigger
than Ohio; Mindoro und Negros are
each as large as Delawure; M!ndanao
would more than ,Jver Pennsylvania,
and Samar Is the size of Connecticut.
The islnnds contain, according 10 our
own last GENIUS, something Ike g.
100000 people. or these 100000 arc
nayaSo or sent civilized. believing in
spirits and witches or in the prophet
Mohamlned and the other 100000 are
Christians with the same God as Our
own. That was what We got for tho
s2c.oo0,ooo we paid for the archipelago
vt the close of our war with Spain.
Establishing n Government.
Ycs. we got that and nore We got
one of the biggest cirilizlng Jobs of
nil times. The people had been mis-
governed for centuries justicc was
bought and sold and bribery and graft
reigned supreme. Eighty per cent. OF
the pGople were Ignorant aud all lacked
faith In their rulers. Taxation was
heavy. eHtortlon was common. and
none had any rights which the rulers
wero bound to respect. There were
practically no public improvements.
The roads were impossible for great
er part OF the year, schools were almost
unknown, and every locality had its
brigands and bandits. In addition was
tho chaos caused by the war. and out
OF the whole Uncle Sam had not only
TO create government of the people
and for tho people, but TO start the
wheels OF our modern civilization.
It 10 this work he is doing. i travel
ed about tho islands In 1899, when we
were about taking charge, The army
was then re-cstablish!ng the govern
ments of the towns. AS soon as n
municipality was conquered the officers
called the people together ANA had them
elect "a town council anu mayor. They
organized municipalities OF that kind
throughout tho archipelago, allowing
each town TO govern Itself and from
that they have COMO on until the
Philippines are now practically self
governed, not only a s 10 the municipal'-
Ties. but as to the provinces aud as
one great island whole,
Uncle Snm Controls the machinery.
This has been done with our national
government at the back as adviser
and director. Uncle Sam still controls
the machinery, and he will continue to
DO so Notwithstanding the cry OF the
Filipino agitators for independence