The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-20
PRESIDENT TAFT
PRINCIPAL SPEAKER
Declares the Songs Sung Do
Not Reflect Present Atti-
tude of Army.

NEW YORK, Dec. ia compliment
tary dinner to w Cameron Forbes,
former governor general of the Philip
nine islands, was given here tonight by
the Philippine society and the Harmony
Club of America. Among the 400 diners
were many prominent men and women,
including Professor and Mrs. William
II. Taft, Mr.. and Mrs. Dean {; Wor
cester. John C. Spooner, Paul D. Cra-
vath, Charles D. Hitler, Hamilton Holt
and George w. Wickersham.
Former President Taft was the prln-
cipal speaker. His address dealt with
the problems confronting the American
government in the Philippines. He
said il had been demonstrated that tho
Filipinos were governable, but so far
there had been little promise that the
educated and wealthy, largely concerned
at present with securing autonomy Tor
of the great body Of Filipinos who,
stepped in ignorance, do not know their
own rights. u
Mr., Taft expressed the fear that the
small wealthy class would exploit the
masses. The speaker predicted that
withdrawal of the American government
at present would mean nothing more
than reoccupation Of the islands in the
interest of peace.
T.
ditions of the Flipinos and sketched
briefly the improvements that have been
made in the islands under the American
regime. He said he was in favor OF
seeing the Philippines retained until the
American principle of government was
better understood by the natives. The
address made by Mr.. Worcester dealt
with the history and ethnology OF the
Filipino peoples and their socio-eco-
4rf,n
Former President Taft, who acted as
toastmaster. adding somewhat to his
prepared speech, referred to the songs
sung at the Carabao dinner in Wash
ington.
tonight said Mr.. Taft, land one OF
them is the attitude of the army which
has awakened some interest recently.
You can perhaps understand how the
army felt when they first went down
to the Philippines, During the day the
and at night they went into the bushes
and fired into the officers houses,
hoping to bring one Of them down.
Such actions, of course, did not tend to
make our army want to get into close
association with the Filipinos, and per-
haps that was responsible for the song
that was sung concerning the Filipinos.
The title was: He May BE Brother
of William H. Taft. but He Ain t No
Brother of Mine!
81 am only going over this question
with the idea of helping the present
administration. see that the Carabao
dinner is causing some discussion. L
have attended Carabao dinners twice,
and it is quite true that some of the
songs they sing regarding the Filiplnos
are not OF character quite fitted to
soothe, but they are sung in the same
way court sometimes makes an entry
-nunc pro tune.
1.-THE Carabao are of the time when
the army was down there and doing
business, and their s is not to be con-
strued as the present attitude of the
army toward the Filipino. [ want to
advise the administration that they
are only reviving the feeling that ex-
isted when the army was there, and
which was then more opportune But
things have changed, and ] am sure that
the song or songs don't reflect the
present attitude