Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-23
THE PROBLEM OF THE Phil ,IPPINFs
~ OF the Uny'S I5cSt CurtUOns.
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN-v.

| ID
WASHINGTON, D. 9. February ga
Onc-third OF tho land area of the
Philippines is included in the Depart
ment OF Mindanao and Sulu. I'rac-
tica1ly all the Mocha nlucdanS and q
third of the pagans OF the archipelago
live in this one department.. II Was
kept under military government twelve
years longer than tho rest of the
Philippine group II has ALWAYS been
treated as distinct problem, ANA
must continue To be so treated FOR some
time.
In I.nzon ana the Nisayans the prin-
Cipal northern islands. the civilized
Filipino population greatly prcdojui-
mates. In Niudanao and Sulu there arc
1900" Christians. 10000 puehns and
over 100000 Mahammcdaus. y Siuel.
province Of thc department is a state
The size Of Massachusetts the ar"n OF
the Who'll" ~ greater than mat OF Dom
mark and holland put together. 'rhc
important under the Philippine Com
mission
MinG,nao ana Sulu had a particulurly
unsavory reputation when wc tonk tho
islands from spain. We Kept them
under military control from 1898 to ihc
end OF l@l3. Then tn" ClNi govern
ment which had been gradually 90
operating more and NOR. FULLY with
,hc army. took tho r.ms- and every
b"oy who had been following To. sit
ua'ion held his breath Nothing hap
pcncd.
American ImHurnrc.
Their" have been numerous local dis
turhanccs. many baud. uf ouilawa. can
turcd. and the ola family t.uds among
the MorOs hnV" boon carried on ace
cordin-: TO arc-old custom hut none Of
ih' general Upr!sin.s that many people
feared have eNeutlat"d Tho pn2alIs
Of MindHmau were always umcnahlo to
American influence. but the Moros hay"
mad" much trouble in years gone bl
Now they al" not only living at p'acc
With the Americans, but even With
Christian f.lipiuos from tn. north
They are l"tiin" these F.lpiuu- til
some Of tile Offices OF administration.
over them, Thing pat thcl ottcu as
serted IN 'hc past they would p-vcr
old reputation for turbulence and
fcrocity.
Th" Moros inhabit not only the main
island OF Mindanao, hu, also tho Sulu
archipelago that stretches southwark
and westward 10 Eornco Sulu is. after
Mindanao. the largcs, of the islands.
the stronghold OF the sultan of Sulu.
whose capital is ~ Lulo--a doughty
warrior whom Spain never SUCCEEDED
in subduing. Sulu wa> never famous
for its moral atmosphere. The Sulu pi-
rate proas we're known to every skin
per who sailed the scycn seas The
Moros Of Sulu took Filipino captivcs
and sold them for slavcs in Eprmco
The men Of Sulu were particularly IN
na'ichl. even for Malays. and pnrticu-
larry liable 10 the distressing seizure
known as going ''iuramcntado."
The Jurnmcntado.
Jnr"mentado is the Sp"nish way OF
expressing in - single word our phrase
"onc who has taken an oath" ni tho
case of Il Moro, il means an oath to Kill
Ch!iatians. The militant Mohuiuucdun
creed assures tho JOYS Of Paradise with /
"It the fortunes OF purpatory TO any
believer who dies in battle with in
hdcls. The Malay is more or less racial
" liable Ia he ovcrpowcrcd by the
beauty Of this conception ON short no
ticc, when he draws his kris and starts
for paradise at once. such "a man the
Spaniards called juramcntado.
He is - terribly Formidable individual.
Religious passion ana the lust of la,
tie transform him into Il savage Hch,
Ing machine lie guards His own bod
not At all; he is out TO die anyway.
His object is 10 do all the damage pos
sihlc first juramcntado has hccn
known I" run himself on - So, hayomct
in his caGcrncss to get at the man
behind ii. Having KILLED his foe. he
unlocked III" bayomct and went on
sighting with the knif" through his
body. When the Spanish garrison Of
Sulu was attacked 10y iuraHcntados.
the fanatics came on in the face of re-
pcating rife fire. until their bodies
chokcd the ioopholcs. ana The span
iards wcr.. forced TO fire over The top
OF the wall
Spaninrds Annoyed.
The only treatment, for II iuraulcn-
tado is 80 Put him out OF the way as
quickly as possible. Nobody is held
responsible for his actions. The Moro
state of affairs TO annoy tho Spnniurds
qncnt. always being seized with their
Spanish soldiers. When the Spanish
the latter replied that such men we're
irresponsible and amcnahlc to no in
nucncc on earth. FINALLY The Spaniard
sent Gunboat to shell the Sultau's
palace. The Malay ruler sent Il storm
OF protesting and indignant messages
THE gunboat is juramcntado," said tho
Spanish commander, shrurring his
shoulders in resignation.
Examples such AS these are not citcd
as IN any way typical. " they were.
dealing with tho 100000 AIoros
would constitute II Job for a con
,incntal army. " they were. tho only
way TO handle the department wouId
he either to wage a war Of cXtcrmina-
ton, or to Withdraw and c0nsign Il
TO It's own devices. AS Il matter or fact,
the Governor Of Mindanao and Sulu