New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-28
THE CARABAO SONG
Judge Bount Airs the Views on the
Philippines Which Mr.. Bryan Endorsed.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: To-day's papers give the text of
the Presidents reprimand TO the officers
of the Carabao Society apropos OF the
battleship "Pime" From this document
IL clearly appears. as suggested In your
editorial of December IS, that the singing
of the sth Army Corps's Philippine cam
paign song OF 1900 damning the Filipino
was not the gravamen Of the society's Of
fences at It's recent annual dinner. Per-
sonally. | do not believe II had much TO
do with the Presidents action.
But they certainly played fast and
loose with the proprieties In respect of the
Secretary OF State. They ridiculed re-
cent metaphor OF his used in a speech be-
fore officials OF other nations by way of
reminder to all present that in the great
heart OF humanity there is an abiding
faith that the God Of Nations will ultl-
mately eliminate war through the infiu-
ence and teachings OF the Christ. Mr.. Bryan
was not proposing immediate disarma-
meut nor cordially inviting the world to
boot us forthwith Mt its pleasure. Yet, II
the jest which said "Piiile" had any point,
It lay in Just that innuendo.
In addition TO the high jinks" related
TO the battleship "Pifiie" most inexcus-
able "skit' was got off In the form OF q
song which had the President consulting
his Secretary OF state about the Mexican
situation and the latter suggesting that
Il be solved by all Joining in singing
Lead. Kindly Light" Either this had no
tt,at h. Il
minstration was amusingly unwise In NOT
ordering the army across the Mexican
border.
Leaving what seem TO me TO have been
the proxmate and tustifyinS causes or
the Presidents reprimand, | would like,
for a serious purpose. 10 refer TO one or
the wholly negligible "skts'-that about
Damn Damn. Damn the Filipino"
Your editorial of December IS refers 10
this as "doggerel ditty dragged from
the grave in which we had supposed 1t to
be reposing ever since the suppression OF
AguInaldo's instruction" AS a matter
Of fact IL has been sung at every Cara
bao dinner since 1900. Immediately after
the words above quoted from your De-
cember IS editorial you add ITO be sure,
though, responsibility for such spoliaton
If the tomb would have to be divided
with Mr.. Blount who put the song I'm a
still worse version into his book. and with
Mr. Bryan, who so greatly recommended
the book" For the benefit of such of
your readers as may not entirely under
stand this alusion, II may be said, in
passing that the book referred TO is my
American Occupation of the Philippines.
1S9S-1el2, published last year, and that
Mr.. Bryan's recommendation Of IL took
the form OF letter to life" published
Juno 20 last. specifying this book In an
swer TO previous inquiry by Life,
what is the best book YOU have read In
the iast twelve months"
Whatever the inherent defects of any
attempt at impartial contemporary history
writing, such history may have quality
OF intimacy obviously impossible 10
chronicles written after all the actors are
dead. The original Damn the Filipino
song, as we of the Sth Army Corps sang
il In 1900 and after. ran exactly as l put
1t I'm my book:
Damn damn, damn the Filipino.
Poclt-marked khakac ladr0ne.
Underneath the starry flag,
Civize him with a Krag
And return US 10 our own beloved home.
"Ladrone" means thief and "khakac'
means copper colored. The other endear-