The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-03-06
Beckett is Home
from PHILIPPINES
Continued from Page n

potent .es have numbers in accord
ance with their rank, and Mr.. Beckett
was special representative of the
great government of the United States
and no doubt outranked the rankest
Filipico-and Mr.. Beckett says they
are me -ank.
on. Of sight, out of mind, and when
the tupmost peak Of the mountains Of
he Philippines sank behind the hori-
zon Mr. Beckett dismissed thoughts of
ne pest and let his mind dwell on
thoughts of the future-China! Oh,
Joy! those Chinese beauties! But af-
ter G. week of them his thoughts turn
ed < he s'ant-eyed japanese SO he
HE'D himself TO the great docks at
Hog Kong ard boarded ship for ia
pan.
In JaoNn his s2ccoss was not so
great:, 20 tie Japs are WY people
ard key go Beck It's number as soon
IS his feet touched the san pan, But
Japan is great country and Mr..
! Beckett seemed to think that the best
thing to do with the Philippines is
to ctf3r to sell them to Japan and if
hey wen buy, to give them as a
prize with Some American self-rising
-four or something of the kind-but to
sadie the islands on the Japs at any
cost.
When the big ship sailed into the
harbor of Honolulu, said to be the
p- rtiest harbor in the world, Mr..
Beckett's heart began to beat tat
too against his ribs, for he recalled
the many stories he had heard of the
hawaiian beauties. He was not dis
appointed. He says they are q little
tho browne to completely satisfy his
" r7tAotic tastes for regular diet and,
t:kirg all things into consideration,
thu nowhere else on Gods green
earth ere there such beautiful women
as in Tarpon Springs, where he has
returned to stay until the Huns take
america and run him out.
But reverting to the Philippines, Mr..
Beckett says it has now been about
.wcnty y,-ars since tiay came under
he ru' CT tn United States and that
Try Ltttle c.aAge las been made in
III, inhcb;ttnts; hat if the United
States should withdraw the natives
ND cetrogr"de to their former state
e batbarity. Though English is the
only language taught in the schools
the natives all speak Spanish.
He further said it was no place for
I white manor woman; that the in
fiuences tend to drag down instead of
.-evate, and that most, or at least a
~reat many, white people who have
l.ade their homes there take to drink
nd get in state of mind where they
If along with the tide and seldom
II! against the evil influences. The
natives are not clean and go about in
! : state OF semi-(ol better a)nudity,
Until white man becomes disguised.
from now on Mr.. Beckett has no adj
liration for decollete gowns.
-. Beckett related an incident
which happened in Honolulu. Be it
remembered that the Hawaiians have
, adopted American customs and the
city of Honolulu much resembles any
American city set in tropical eli
mate. Two Hawaiian boys met on the
street and the first one spoke in Span
ish. The second one demonstrated with
the following remark: Speak to me
in English or not at ALL"
But when asked about the sponge
on the Philippine islands Mr.. Beckett
said if they were in the United States
they could be put to profitable use but
that they were of inferior quality and
some of the very best quality seemed
to be filled with sand which it was
| impossible to get out and which make
them useless.
Mr. Beckett says the natives eat a
great deal of shark meat, while the
sharks eat native meat, thus making
an equal supply and demand.
We could write columns from our
short interview with Mr.. Beckett this
morning and shall endeavor to tell fur
, Their interesting stories to those who
may not be so fortunate as to hear