The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-23
OUR DUTY TN
 THE PHILIPPINES
ELIZABETH MARGARET LEE

ton, where they are capable of hay ing the stern necessity of seIf-gov- ernment thrust upon them? This is the vital question that our present ad-f ministration has been called upon to decide, and in order to preserve the honor and dignity of the Stars and Stripes'' we must exercise the greatest care and precaution in reaching our final decision.
 Let us review, if we will, the his tory of this group of Islands from the time of their release from the arbi- trary rule of Spain up to the present time.
 When the Philippines came under the control of the United States in 1898, a Commission was appointed to investigate the existing conditions and formulate plans for the future de- velopment of this archipelago into an independent nation.
 It was found that the population consisted of a great many diverse tribes, all of them speaking different dialects. Some were civilized, others were half civilized, but the majority of them were still in the barbarian stage They had no common Ian guage, no easy means of communica,- ton, were divided by forests, rivers and seas into many communities, ig- norant and distrustful of one another The Americans sought to accom- plish two things. First, to give the people common language. Second, to give every student a. means to take a living. The first is being accom- plished by teaching the English Ian guage, which now is used more than l the Spanish and is more important 1 than any of the native dialects. Tn | order to accomplish the second, the popular school system in vogue in the 1 United States was introduced, but the ffolly of preparing the Filipino for University study was realized, when | it was found that what the Islands
 really needed were carpenters and l blacksmiths, instead of lawyers and I clerks. In 8act, when Government | buildings wSre erected, there were not i fifty natives who could undertake to ] do the work and so 1t. was given to
 the Chinese The educated natives | went in for clerical work or law and
 the uneducated ones were servants, l shermen, and farmers. The educa- | tiohal plan was inm ediately revised and a system of industrial education
 was introduced, and every student
 was graduated from the school to the
 payroll. The young natives are now
 able to accomplish many useful things
 with their hands. The most far
 reaching thing in our school system, l however, has been the teaching of
 English, giving the. Filipino a com
 mon language.
 l Roads have been constructed In 1 the Islands, which not only serve the
 needs of commerce, but also make it I possible for the natives to get in | communication with each other and l thus remove the jealous and hostile
 feelings that have for so long exist
 ed among the people. A modern sys~ tenn of electrical communication has
 also been established between all the important islands and centers .I
 When the Americans took charge. Cholera and many other terrible dis fAd n ha E4 1 Boards were immediately established in the important centers, public sew CTS were constructed and sanitation l laws weref ormed to enforce the col lection of garbage, sewage disposal and street sweeping.
 i While the F'iIipinos have gradually
 raised themselves to & higher plane, socially, politically and morally, their | development along these lines has been due to the guidance of the Americans, who have tried to create
 a sentiment of nattonalism to allay the mutual jealousies that have all | ways existed among the different tribes. While this end must be at tained by enlightening the natives as to their social and political rights, per cent. of the population are really fitted to carry on this work. There
 fore, the percentage of the natives l who are capable of promoting their l parison to the population.
 This phen omenaI advancement in improvements has been brought about under the direction of the co-opera- tive form of government now existing g lin the Islands which consists of a. l Governor General and eight Commis-
 sioners, appointed by the President of
 the United States. The personnel of the Commission is made up of four Americans and four F1lipinos. The
 natives have been given a. constantly l increasing share in the government, i and now have practically complete control of the Municipal and Provin- l ciaI Governments. They have also a.
 large share in the Insular Govern
 nent, especially in the Courts.
 The issue nov resolves itself into
 the question as to, whether or not the l F'iHpinos are capable of self-govern- nent. Have these people reached the
 stage, where they are able- to take the burden on their own shoulders of sue cessfuIIy carrying on the affairs of an independent nation? If so, the United States should grant them their inde-
 pendence, but the facts clearly show ] that the time is not ripe for such a l gigantic step to be taken. With only five per cent of the population fitted to assume the leadership, and with the native voter easily led by tho
 powerful ones in his own community, the masses would be. subjugated to
 the dominance of a very small and probably exploiting minority. A re-
 version to the barbarous state that we l found the Islands in at the time o1 their annexation to the United States
 would be the result, and what we
 have accomplished so far. in the up
 lifting of this race of people towards
 the goal of independence, would be torn asunder tomorrow. They would
 fall an easy prey to the greedy na-
 tions who are constantly on the look
 out for new territory.
 Our duty in the Philippines is, in
 deed, a most sacred one. RegardIess
 of the expense which we must bur den for the support of the troops sta
 toned on the Islands and the cree
 tionA of Qualifications. as a Christian | people whose lot has been cast with a weaker race, 1t is our bounden duuy