El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-30
FiIipinOs are Good Fighters
Outlaws In the Islands Are Wiped
Out OF Service by the Philip
pine COnstabulary.
4

AsHINGTON. p. d. June

- ASHlNCIlN. u T., June oy-
NJ The Philippine constabulary is |
an armed police force which is I
empowered to prevent and suppress /
brigandage, insurrectiOn, unlawful as
sembHes riots and other violations OF 1
the law. The activities of the Organi- !
cation embrace field service against /
the outlaw band, work peaceful or |
otherwise among the wild tribes, and !
secret service duty. Iost of the Off |
GERS are Americans, but all of the en-
listed personnel is Filipino, and they /
are good fighters The entire expense
is borne by the Philippine government |
Civil Rule Too soon
1t is freely asserted by those who !
know the Philippine problem that civil
government came several years too !
soon When the Taft commission re-
ueved the military authorities OF su-
preme control. the spirit of insurrec-
ton had by no means been stamped /
out Entire districts, if not provinces,
INSTRUCTED the peaceful extension OF !
| American authority as openly as they
dared Armed bands OF ROBBERS some 6
! of which had preyed upon their own
people for generations. waged war on
Americans both military and civil
There was great need for a quasi-mill-
tary force Of FllplnOs to circulate
among the people as a peace agency IL
was not practical to have the United
States army do this in a country LnaL
q " as supposed 10 AESe-A r N-hAA r7Nf ca IL
: ment and, in 1901, the constabulary
| was created to do this.
The duty of organizing and COM
handing the Philippine cOustabulary
was assigned to Capt Henry T. Allen
of the United States cavalry, veteran
of the Philippine Instruction He IS
now lieutenant colonel in the army
and a member Of the general staff at
Washington AS director of the con-
| stabulary. a position which he held for
six years and two months. Capt Allen
held the relative rank Of brlgadler-
] general His. assistants were also
army captains and enjoyed the relative
/ rank and pay Of colonies of the
army The grades of third Lieutenant
! second lieutenant, first lieutenant, cap
tain, major and lieutenant cOIOneL
I were filled by men who were not army
/ officers Most of them were soldiers
! and non commissioned officers, regu-
/ lars or volunteers, or volunteer ON
/ GERS who had been mustered out OF
] the service. A system of detailing
! regular army officers to the Philip
/ pine cOnstabulary with increased pay
4 still prevails. Only two regular con-
{ stabulary officers hold the rank or
! colonel They are Col Wallace c Iay-
: Tor and Col. Thomas l. Ma1r, bOrh OF
Z whom were volunteer Officers
Few Native OFFICERS.
Although all grades Of the service
: are open to FilipinOs, less than one
/ quarter of the officers are natives A
: few have passed examinations TO leu
: no Philippine majors although there IS
{ one lieutenant colonel This is Lieut.
/ Col. Rafael Crane who is on the head
I quarter staff as chief of the infOrma-
{ ton division. The government has been
! unsuccessful so Ear in inducing larEe
I number of well bred and well educated
/ young FilipinOs TO enter the cOnstabu-
! larry service. Such as endeavOred TO
3 DO so either failed in their examina-
Z lions for commissions or were unable
: TO pass when coming up for promotion
5 from grade to grade
In the II years or It's existence Ile
4 cOnsta bulary has been called to wage
! many bloody fight against ladrones
/ tbrigands) TO pacify entire provinces,
10 dlsperse bands OF reHslous IanallCS'
I to fight cholera. to maintain quaran-
! tine against rinderpest. TO break up
I CarabaO stealing. to maintain order IN
I the municipalities and in the country
/ districts and win the confidence OF the
| people AT the same time In oIner
! words. cOnstabulary officers and con-
I stabulary soldiers were supposed TO
| have nice fat right hand for hand
Z shaking and a good stiff left hand
/ with brass l1nuckles for sterner duties.
and to use both at the same time with
! equal facility.
Had Difficult Task.
Tt was trying job in itself to or
/ game the service. First of all q few
/ hundred Filipinos had to be coaXed AID
I backed into the service To Oltlcer anu
| to train these raw recruits Capt Allen
! who had never seen service prior to
I the Philippine insurrectiOn and who
/ had never commanded men. white,
] black or brown Some turned out 10
: be shallow characters whose new found
Z glory went to their heads. thus spoil
/ ing good soldiers to make poor off
I GERS, some were enthusiasts whose con
I C5ptiOn of their duty was the eNterI'l-
I nation as soon as possible Of every
Z Filipino in sight, others happened 10
. be simple. rugged souls who were very
earnest in irving 70 do their duJy as
] they saw it but who could not display
I the putty faced demeanOr they were
! required to cultivate for the benefit OF
3 some lying. tre2CherouS. wholly IN
{ competent native otuclal Wnom L-ey
! knew to be soft soaping officer
/ the government by day and either a
Z cattle thief or the leader Of a rebel
Hous band by niEht
Bloody 1893.
The year 1905 was the blOodiest In
I the history Of the cOnstabulary because
/ Of the number Of ladrone bands IN
| Cavite and Batangas province within
! few miles of Manila and the or
| ~anized resistance of several thousand
: armed religious fanatics in Samar.
! Leyte and Mundane over 1000 enlisted
/ men and &33 officers were in the field
| continuously. This work was done In
cooperation with regular American
I troops and Philippine scouts
An era Of peace dCWned in 1906. en-
] abling the cOnstabulary to reduce its
! functions. Conditions have steadily
I improved since then in the Philippine
/ islands proUer. although the Moham-
/ rncdans of Mindauao. who are not Fill
pinos, continue to give trouble.
one thing that the Philippine con-
] stabuIary has taught all observers. Is
that the Filipino acquiesces readily to
] discipline. which is one of the cardinal
Z principles of self government An
other is that he is loyal I'm a large
/ measure to the stars and stripes. Stlli
I another is that he can fight.
The principal needs of the constabu-
Z larry at the present time are increased
| pay apd a decent pension and retire
ment system. A private soldier ave-
| RACES 10 cents n day for food. SIS a
/ year for clothing and $3.50 month as
/ pay which is below the remuneration
/ Of ordinary stable boys, house servants
[ and day laborers.
In return for this magnificent salary
I tho Filipino is expected TO discharge
/ all of the duties of a peace officer and
Z to risk his life at all times. As n
( result Of all the thousands of soldiers
| who have been in Chc consta bulary but
{ 81 who entered in 1901 wear the uni
"a