Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-27
EXTO[S THE CHARACTER
OF PHILIPPINE PEOPLE
Mrs. Alice Mckay Kelly Relates Her
Experiences as Supervisor of
Education.
Wonderful Progress Of the Natives
Shown in Address to National
Geographic Society.

Extolling the virtues of the Philip
pine people and describing her strange
experiences during fifteen years among
them as supervisor of education under
the American administration. Mrs.
Alice Mckay Kelly told National Geo
graphic Society audiences at the New
Masonic Auditorium yesterday the story
of the wonderful progress made in our
far eastern possession.
Describing her first impressions when
she arrived in Manila shortly after the
Spanish war to spend a few weeks.
which heightened into fifteen years.
she said:
Il wonder how you would have felt
had you been transported to the orient,
and on the very first day had seen two
natives fall on the street stricken with
the dread bubonic plague; had seen
terrible lepers on every hand and chill
dren in various stages of smallpox
playing with other children apparently,
we'll? Would you not have inquired
for the sailing dates of steamers back
to Gods country?
Ravages of Cholera Described.
5000 persons per annum died of
cholera alone. Out of only 100000
population this Is a staggering aver
age The masses felt that these dis
eases were visitations from Providence,
not to be avoided but to be accepted
as they came. No special effort was
made therefore to segregate the sick.
THE Filipino boy and girl of those
days had no games-they did not know
how to play. Cockfighting was the ma
tional sport and. all too young, the
Filipino youth learned the principles
of this degrading vice; but how things
have changed! 1 defy you to go into
any Filipino village where you will not
find enthusiastic base ball players, both
boys and girls. Where thousands once
congregated at the cockpit they now
come from far and near to participate
in the athletic meets which are a vital
part of the education system in the
Philippines,
within three weeks after American
occupation seven American schools were
opened, with seven khaki-clad soldier
boys behind desks teaching English to
Filipino children. From this modest
beginning the work has proceeded
along three lines-academic, industrial
and athletic. In every part Of the
houses in which 100000 pupils are be-
ing taught English by 10000 Filipino
teachers developed during the past
ten years.
"The Filipinos are race richly en-
dowed for evolution into modern
people and We must, in sheer justice
to the islands and the natives, consider
that our duty is continued service for
them"
Speaks of Wonders Wrought.
Mrs. Kelley showed many beautiful
pictures of scenes in the islands and
the wonders wrought there. She also
showed many striking pictures of her
strange native friends, their unique
customs and domestic life.
One of these showed eleven little
natives enjoying a bath in an enormous
iron bathtub built especially for the
former governor general, Mr.. Taft. An
other showed group of native nurses
at the new hospital. each with a squeal-
trating the better baby" movement in
the islands. One of the last pictures
sent a thrill through the audience, for
it showed an old Moro chieftain who
had been dead for several weeks sitting
in his death chair" in front of his
house.
This old man was one of the lee
turer's friends. and when she left for a
visit to a neighboring town, she prom
Used him to return in three weeks.
Swollen rivers and heavy rains delayed
her return, and when she did come
back seven weeks later. here he was
sitting in his chair. waiting. but dead.
Following this. another picture of him
but in life-was shown, and with 1t a
picture of his grandson, Sim Solely, a
youth who is now attending one of
Washington's high schools, and who
came upon the platform with the lee
turer as the talk was concluded.