Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-23
WORCESTER BACKS lip
CRITICISM BY TAFT IN
NEW PHILIPPINE POLICY
Governor Harrison Begins Ousting
Americans and Giving Important
Jobs to Natives Almost as Soon as
He Arrives, Says Retiring Official.

SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 32.-Dean
C. Worcester, for thirteen years Sec
rotary of the Interior in the Philippine
Islands, who arrived here recently,
agrees fully with ex-President VIII
liam H, Taft that Governor General
Francis Burton Harrison, of New
York, since taking over the reins of
government in the islands, has made
a series Of blunders which may spell
ultimate disaster.
Mr.. Worcester resigned his post
September Is. His arrival had been
awaited with keen interest. as he is
the first man in a position to speak
with authority on Philippine affairs
to reach here since the induction of
the new Governor General, and
the introduction of President Wilson's
policy that, whenever feasible, the
Filipino is to be preferred to the
American as an official.
Il left Manila soon after Governor
General Harrison came and before he
had time to go very far with the de-
velopment of his policy" said Mr..
Worcester this afternoon.
"I called on Governor General Har-
rfson at his request week before my
departure and discussed Filipino af-
fairs with him. l was able to reply to
the suggestion of his TO the effect that
while we probably represented OPP
posed political views, that we appar-
emily represented identical views as
TO the policy which ought to be pur-
sued, but that the events of the pre-
vious week had made it evident that
we represented radically opposed
views as to the promptness with
which that policy could safely be car
ried out.
Filipino Succeeds American.
within that brief time arrange
ments had been completed to dispense
with the services of several of the
most competent bureau chiefs and as
sistant chiefs of the insular govern
ment. The designations of Captain
Charles H. Sleeper, Director of Lands,
and of Colonel Henry Mccoy, lnsular
Collector of Customs, were the hrst
requested. The vacancy created by
Captain Sleeper's removal was I'M
mediately filed by the appointment OF
Manuel Tinio, bright young Filipino
of good character but absolutely lack
ing in knowledge of public land mat
tiers and administrative experience
which would At him to conduct bus
mess enterprise Of anything ap-
preaching such very large dimensions.
THE Bureau of Land has charge
OF the entire public domain, including
the agricultural and mineral lands
and the foreshore, and excepting for
est lands on1v 1t has been stated in
the public press that the appoint
ment of a Filipino - this position
meant a radical change in the public
land policy. 1t is greatly to be feared
that this is the case.
Try to Aid Poor.
Heretofore the policy has been to
give to the poor mantle poor. FIN
pinos, who make UP the bulk or the
Christian population-and to the ig-
norant wild man as well-all possible
assistance in securing homestead or
free patents or in purchasing the usu-
ally small tracts of land which they
desire.
VERY many wealthy Filipinos VINO
are large land owners dislike to nave
the less fortunate people secure lanu'
preferring to keep them tenants, as
this makes 1t possible to hold them IN
peonage, or a state closely approx
mating it, They have. therefore, dill
gently sought to mislead the common
people as to their rights under the
law and have often caused opposition
to be made when they sought to op-
tain land by homestead, free patent,
or purchase.
Incurs Natives Ennity.
Captain Sleeper had generally in
terested himself in instructing the
poor and ignorant as to their rights
and in assisting them to assert those
rights BY doing this he made him
self very unpopular with the Filipino
politicians, and a man Of their own
race will find 1t very hard to resist
The pressure which viii. pe brought to
bear by the rich against the poor.
In commenting upon his own APP
pointment, Tinio said that he knew
nothing about the work. While ike
him personally, l must say that ne
is utterly incompetent to perform the
work. John R Wilson, Assistant d.
rector of Lands. has also resigned
and 1t is improbable that any com
petent person can be found for the