Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-03
PHILIPPINE PROBLEMS IV.-Taming the Wild Men.
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN. :

xr1ASHINGToN Feb 22--Advocates of Philippine
w independence hold that the nOn-christian tribes
W more of problem than are the Indians
the United States. Their opponents say that the
parallel accurate if there were 100000
Indians country if they had recently come of
the warpath and anxious to go back to it. The
truth between the extremes of opinion
non-Chrstian tribes a problem, and
at they be a serious menace
Nobody knows exactly how many of tie non-Chrs-
tian people there are. 1t is certain that there are
enough them to form important element in the
population Filipinos have set their number
million. Other estimates, including
put them nearer the three-quarter
million mark Mr.. D. c. Worcester for thirteen years
member Philippine commission and secretary OF
the interior for the islands, them in great de-
TAIL island by island, to total we'll over million
Mr. Worcester probably better acquainted with this
particular question than other American
The total population of the archipelago is about
100000. Thus 100000 Filipinos will have from
100000 100000 non-Christans whose territory en-
land of the islands, to police
educate, santate administer and govern.
question is somewhat simplined by the fact that
these wild tribes are in way not exactly wild.
They are savage and in the very recent past waged
warfare, but they intelligent and quick to
progress. tribe in the interior of Mindanao
that lived in the teetops FIVE years ago To-Day that
tribe lives village, late model disc plows and
trims the public plaza with lawn mower
Such tribes have been to law and order by the
civil and military officers who had charge of
them The called utter fearessness, infinite
patience and man who could set Tor each crime a
American officers risked their lives dozen times
day. They travelled unarmed through remote and nos
tile regions where every man boas.ed a lance and
desire to increase his headscore They deco
rated quarters with the spears thrown at them
They arbtrated feuds between villages when only the
presence the other tribe prevented each warning
party from gathering in the arbiter.
The American in charge of hidden island dis
whole machinery of administration
quinne-hlled He the legislative
judicial and the executive branches of government
combined. He the health department and the
bureau of public works. Between tribes he
Hague tribunal and individuals last
appeal At the head of few red-capped native con-
stables ranged through the jungle in the of
the
The hill people regarded war as a part of life yet
ways they proved Hkabe to deal with
They recognized the justice of punishment and bore
malice after it On their SIDE they expected
that punishment should wipe the slate Clean that the
offender who had paid his penalty should get back his
old status in every way They not a to
precate mldness, but they admired in
enemy with ready generosity. BY the Ameri-
ruled them, occasionally falling back the
tional resource of bluff.
A good example of what the pioneers of admin
istraton had to deal witn and the they dealt with
it, is furnished incident that happened of
the smaller islands. A young governor set out with
two native constabes to compel band of outlaws to
dsarm. They found the whole tribe in arms
ing ugly mood. 1t apparent that they were
working themselves up the point of attack, and
the tribe numbered hundred the governor and
his two followers we're in ticklish situation So the
American forced the issue SEEKING pretext for
with the chief he his
the while he him with a stick The
natives aghast at emerity; it convinced
that the governor had hidden force in They
meekly their weapons.
once the government established, friendly
relations between the officers of administration
to appreciate and square deal. They obeyed
the law, and regarded the local lawmaker a