The Washington herald., 1913-09-21
PHIPPS NDORSES
SLAVERY REPORT
Philippine Auditor Adds Con-
frmation to Dean c. Wor-
cester's Statement.
DETAILS ARE NARRATED
Charges Declared to Be Sustained
Fully in Records Sent War
Department.

Complete substantiatioR of the
charges of Dean c. Worcester. until re-
Gently Secretary of the Interior of the
Philippines, that slavery and other
forms of involuntary servitude, accom-
pa led by a traffic in human beings.
exists in the islands has been received
at the War Department in an addi-
tiOnai rcDOrt on the subject.
". II. PhippS. insular auditor, has
presented an exhaustive and volum-
inous report. containing the evidence
on the subject given by the district
auditors who made the Investigations
at his direction. Many actual cases of
the buying of girls and boys by Fill
pinOs and the holding of youths and
even men and women in virtual slavery
are cited in the report.
summary Of Phipps.
In ms summary statement, forward
ing his report to Gov. Gen. Forbes,
Auditor Phipps says:
Il have no hesitanCy in saying that l
think the charges of Secretary WCrces-'
ter. that slavery exists in the Philip
pines are fully sustained. question
has been made as to the term slavery
saying that il was not a legalized insti
tuition sucn as it was in the United
tiOn Of the legality or illegality enters
in the question of fact as TO whether
slavery Exists. Human slavery iS a con-
iitiOn ii human beings in state 1f
>ervitude OF bondage. and where one
person is subject to the will and COM
mands Of ar.ther; where the slave Is
obliged 30 " iOTs a master without
the cons, Il Of Ihr servant. All the cor
ii;.ons that enter into such a definition
a. s19i / 40
The almost universal report made %
n1c by each person who had been asked
.n investigate was that slavery in some
I"gm existed 10 his personal knowledge
with a number Il is a form of peOnsg~
"rlrh - tn" mist extensive form nf
>.averH Prart!ced here; with many others,
il MI. Ire n ted. il * the barter and sale
n human hrinEs bv one person TO an
uther. who holds such person so sold to
him in absp'utc subiuSat!on. and they
pelform duties and labor for him without
compensation further than scanty cloth
ny md in many instances Indifferent
uuC.
The district auditors who gathered the
desired information for Mr.. Phipps all
insisted that their data was obtained only
on condition that names be not men
fin-ed. as serious embarrassment for
them would result il it were known they
had rendered such information to the Of
!riaIs of tn" island government. Conse-
Tuently. the names "f the officials who
contributed the information about spe-
.il.c Instances cited below will not he
mentioned.
Ome man reports that he reliably was
informed that every NeGrito servant in
his district originally had been bought
His info mant explained that:
The, generally are bought when quite
young, and Kept as slaves until they be-
ONE Old enough IL shift for themselves;
hat they are kept iT servitude through
UU, their entire minority; that when they
reach the age Of NegTito discretion they
learn that there j. no law which compes
Them to Irmaim in serVitude: and that
il they are dissatisfied after they learn
heir rights they leave the owners house.
Negotiations with thief.
This man was informed that when A
FilfInS wished 10 purchase a slave he
went "r sent to the mountains where
the NegritOs make their home and en-
tered into negotiations with the chief of
the tribe. The bargain is made for the
delivery OF a boy or Erl. is desired.
rcr considerations ranging from 81 pesos
up to lH0 pesos The custom is for the
.hirf to deliver the girl to a designated
party. who will receive the money from
the purvhaEer and deliver 10 him the
slave, and then turn over the purchase
price to the chief of the tribe. The
chiefs never explain how they come into
POSSES IuuN OF the boys and girls whom
they thus sell
ne investigator was Informed that It'll
would he useless for him or any one
else 20 attempt an Investigation, a in
each case Of a family having one or
more slaves hr would he given an ap-
parrutly satisfactory explanation Of how
the slave came 10 he there and denial
that it was bought. and further state
ment that the slave was satisfied to-
stay. He was furnished list of seven !
FiipinOs in one town who are slave !
holders, one of them having three Their |
names are given in the report. This list |