The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-06-11
Natives Rapidly Succeeding
Americans i'm Affairs of
Government
MILITARY COMMANDS
GIVEN IN ENGLISH
Late lieutenant of Constabulary, Wis
iting in Brattleboro, Tells Interesting
Story = About 100000 Native Chill
dren in Public Schools


dren in Public Schools
A. F. Stevens. late lieutenant of the |
Philippine constabulary, who visited Tues
day and "Wednesday with Attorney O. B. |
Hughes, classmate IN the University of
Vermont, has gone to Burlington and
from there will go to his home near FL |
mira, n Y, as yet undecided TO his
future.
Mr. Stevens credits his trip to the Phil
ippines to the wanderlust in his nature,
and while he quit the service after his
three-year term had expired because he
did not believe there was the possibility of
advancement for Americans on the islands
that there was some years ago, he says he
does not regret the three years and more
that he was there and that under the
same conditions he would again undertake
the same experience.
There is nothing in the United States
to approach in beauty the automobile
ride from the end of the railroad line to
the summer capitol Of the islands at
4 Baguio The road is an excellent one,
winding up into the mountains, and is
protected by a system of block signals
that the drivers of motor cars may know
of the approach of others Conditions
are fairly comfortable at this summer cap
tol. which is high in the mountains. 1t
/ is here that the new heutenants of con
| stabulary go to school for two months
before being assigned to commands.
During his three years in command Of
a station and district, which means that
such an officer. with a company OF natives
consisting Of between 40 and 10 men, is
), responsible for preserving order in the
entire district, he was located in the dis
: trict of Ilocos Sur Except IN the dis
tricts most removed from the influences
of Christian civilization there is no diff
Guilty in recruiting the companies Of ma
tive soldiers.
Native Soldiers Faithful.
f The natives in the ranks are paid S65O
: a month and their food and clothing are
: furnished. All commands are given il
: the English language, although at first
: some Of the explanations of the meaning
5 Of a command must be made in the native
, dialect Young men who have been edu
f Gated in the high schools of the island.
are now joining the companies and ar,
being made commissioned officers as re
CURED and as they are able to pass TIN
= necessary examinations. This follows on
the government policy Of turning over tn
5 islands to the natives as rapidly as Is con
I sistent with good government Mr.. Ste
. vens says the native soldiers are faithful
!. and men from a company are frequently
|. away for weeks at a time on scoutin
Z trip.
= Ont of Christian population of Owe
: 6. 0OO.0 600 there are now about 10000
- native Children in the public schools. A
: most without exception the primary an
i Eintermediate grades are taught by native
5 with Americans as the teachers in til
b. high and trade schools. The children
J the aristocracy of the island are, for tn
o most part. sent to semnaries, where the
i are brought up in the Catholic faitl
k while those Of the other classes atten
tt the public schools
n Learning Political Tricks.
,; Except for few chiefs of police d
H. partments in the larger places the poli
W forces are all Of natives and at least
If per cent Of the treasurers Of the Christia
= provinces are now natives indicating Il
~ rapidity with which they are being place
No in positions of trust and responsibilit
d Although when the first elections we
o. held ignorance as to the principles al
= methods of an election was dense, NJ
lie, Stevens says that ward politicians in t
IS United States could learn new tric
or from the natives today.
IS, On his way home Mr.. Stevens spent
IN weeks i'm Australia at u ranch to t
If manager of which he had a letter of
M PRODUCTION from the son of one Of t
IN proprietors whom he knew in the Phil
~ pines There he saw among other thin
h, the method demonstrated of throw
,re cattle by catching the animals by t
ho tails instead of using a lasso, a weste
+f method unknown in that country.
spent six weeks more in South Ameri
- where ne found considerable anti-Ame
can sentiment, which had been infam
if by the Mexican situation and which
VI pears to have been fostered for some til
~ in the belief that the United States N
matey plans to talk over South Ameri