Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-03
MANILA IS TOWN
WITHOUT TRAMPS
CAPTAIN Anton Hohmann of Police
Force Says Nags and Beggars Give
City Wide Berth.
POLITICAL GRAFT Is UNKNOWN
Former Rock Islander Home on Fur
lolgh Declares There is Great
Future Tor Philippines.
POLITICAL GRAFT is UNKNOWN

"Tramps, Nags, gamblers and prize
fighters give my city a wide berth"
proudly boosted Anton Holman.
captain OF police in Manila, who is
visiting relatives in Rock Island on a
rine-months furlough with nav. to a
representative Of The Argus yester-
DAY afternoon IN an interesting inter
view or his experiences in the capital
q the Philippine islands, where he has
spent the past 1912 years.
Manila IS the best governed CITY
Of 10000 inhabitants in the world :"
he continued. Crooks. pickpockets
and gTafters are not allowed to light
O. course, some OF the natives are
shiftlcss and some are not over in
Gustrious, but the professional beggar
and Weary Willie is unknown among
Us These seems to be a legacy of
your modern American communities.
Former Clothing Clerk.
lfr Hohmann, who comes from one
OF the old families Of Rock Island. for
a number OF years was employed as a
clerk in the Simon & Mosenfelder
clothing store and later at The Lon
con. The desire to see the world
seized him and in 1898 when the SDan-
ish-AmerIcan war broke out. he en-
listed in the FOrty-ff Infantry al
Fort Smelling He sailed from Cali
iornia to Manila by way of Honolulu
and served in the field until Feb %.
1901, when the American occupation
o. Manila made it necessary for that
CITY to be properly policed. Captain
Hohmann was one of two men from
his company, a being named from
each regiment, to be selected for this
important work. Accordingly be re-
signed from the army and became a
member of the Metropolitan police,
which name has since been changed
to Manila police.
appointments to the police force in
Manila are made under strict civil
service rules. Political pull doesn't
count The officers are taken from
the army which probably accounts for
the efficiency Of the department" he
explained. The municipal board ap-
points the chief and his assistant.
Under him are six captains, three
American and three native; 81. ser
geants. 20 OF whom are American and
- natives, 400 patrolmen, of whom
$50 are American and 325 native. In
addition the city has an excellent
secret service OF 50 men. For several
years ! have been captain of the bust
ness district in which there are $4,000
Chinese. The city is divided into FIVE
precincts. three being mixed sections
Of Americans and native and two COM
posed almost entirely of natives.
Like Patent Leather Shoes.
THE natives are great lovers of
dress and are especially partial to
patent leather shoes The American
style in clothes pleases their vanity.
The natives are clean in their habits
Cigaret smoking is INDUCED in by both
men and women but the younger gen
GRAFTON through the excellent work of
the American public school system, is
gradually dropping the habit
Baseball is the favorite pastime of
the people. The natives are natural
players and root like real Americans.
Sixty per cent of the business in Ma
Mia is conducted by the Chinese. The
natives are largely farmers and de-
vote most Of their time to filling the
soil. Rice, potatoes, sugar and tropi-
cal fruits are raised. Much hemp is
exported
Captain Holman likes Manila He
believes there is big future for the
country. He says American and
European capital is being invested
there and paying good returns. He is
especially proud OF the Elks' club of
900 members Of that city and expects
to return to the far away islands
when his furIOugh is ended