The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-08-27

III the StttcS 10 COulpdic Win Nhe~
we have on the other side. there Is
no such poverty and ignorance here.
as there is over there. IL Is even
pleasure here TO ride through the
country and look at the wheat fields
Mrs. Hughes is typical American
girl. and through a long residence
abroad, both mt the government sta
ton at Manila, and q number OF trips
into China. Japan, and other places.
has become quite familiar with the
quaint costumes of these foreign peo-
pie. and being truly and femininely'
American the foreign places, although
greatly admired for their undoubted
charms. have suffered greatly in COM
parison With her own progressive
country.
Proud OF This Government.
ct is wonderful what our govern
ment has done for the Philippines dur
ing the past sixteen years said Mrs.
Hughes. and m proud of our gov
eminent for doing IT, They have done
great work with the savages of the
north. and It is now perfectly safe
for even q woman To travel there.
This part of the island was formerly
infested with head hunting. man eat
ing savages. and very few cared or
dared to go among them. Manila Is
now nice clean CITY,. and has been
Greatly improved during the past
three years. II was formerly a hot
bed fo- cholera. typhoid. small pox.
and other diseases. An epidemic OF
small-Dox I'm former days would sweep
over the city. and take about a quar-
ter of the inhabitants. but conditions
have been greatly changed by the
American government. and there arc
no such cpidemics now.
Schools Working Wonders.
There are good government schools.
and they are working wonders with
the people. especially the women. who
used to spend their time at out door
labor. but are now being instructed
I'm more womanly occupations. The
fine needlework which is done bv
some of the woman under government
instruction Is wonderfully pretty.
There are four distinct tribes upon
the island. The original inhabitants
were the Abrisinees. scarcely -four
feet high. but there are very few of
them left When the first Malavs
came they drove these people back
into the hills. Three times tribes OF
Malays came to the island. and each
time they drove the former arrivals
hack farther into the hills. The
Morrows. a fierce tribe occupying the
southern part OF the island. are still
fighting. although during the past two
ye9rs the government has wiped out
the centers of the instructions The
Mcrrows will kill anything in siqht.
and Il will take same time To subdue
them. You see when a native is call
ed FiliDino he may be of any tribe
Unfit For Self Government
They are. totally unfit fer self gov
eminent. Dean Worcester. former
secretary of the interior in 1898 had
charge of all the wild tribes, and Il
is owing to his efforts that the north
ern tribes have been <subdued and
partly civilized. He/ accomplished
wonders with them. and knows about
everything there Is to know about the
Philippines. He is tho author Of a
book entitled "The Philippines. Past
and Present. which gives a complete
history of the country" Mrs. Hughes
showed the reporter some exquisite
needlework. and embroidery. which
had been made by Filipino women IN
the government schools, the care and
neatness OF the work being remark
able when II Is remembered thrt this
is the first generation of these native
women that has put their hands to
such a ladylike pursuit.
Captain and, Mrs. Hughes spent =
month in Japan before starting on
their trip home. Mrs. Hughes was
impressed with the sad conditions In
Japan. The little country Is suffering
greatly on account of the war. which
mighty struggle has ruined her trade
and the. people are practically starv-
ing. The big hotels are almost emp
~, and the tourist trade on which the
Japanese depend to large extent is
not flourishing this year, as very few
people are travelling.
Everybody, Including Papa, Works.
Everyone works in Japan. men,
women and children. Every square
inch Of the island Is cultivated, Civ
ing a shining example OF intensive
farming. The gardens rise upward
on the hills. and the rice paddles, arc
irrigated In most economical man
nor. the water being let run from first
one garden and then to- another. The
Japanese coal mines furnish the coal
for the United States transports, and
are good source of revenue To the
people.
"'The coloring. attention to cetail.
and general appearance OF Japanese
village is very artistic" said Mrs.
Hughes. The houses are all built
after the same pattern. and the sides
OF them are made of removable
screens. The houses are of soft gray
color. and the tiny gardens are ar
ranged TO utilize every inch of space
in the most artistic manner. the re-
suit being an exquisite arrangement
OF proportion and coloring II Is an
odd fact that the men of both the
Philippines and japan readily adapt
European costumes. but the women
do not. The Japanese women Yesr
their hair in the wonderful way which
they have worn II for ages. and wear
their flowing kimonas. dark colored
ones on the streets as q rrle and
gorgeous affairs in the houses.
Homes Never Clvttered Up.
Their houses are never 'cluttered
up.' and therefore have no furniture
that might be of bad taste and offend.
There is practically no furniture. but
the mattings and lacquer work are
beautiful. The houses are made to fit