Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-05-16
(By MaxximO NJ. Kalaw, Secretary OF
the Philippine Mission.)

the Philippine Mission.)
WASHINGTON D. CA certain
lady at the St. Louis Exposition saw
lat ball room a brown complexioned
man clad in faultless evening dress,
and accostcd him with the inquiry,
Il suppose you are Japanese, sir?'
The man addressed replied, mo,
madam"
"Then you must be Chinese" she
said.
mo, l am not; l am a Filipino"
he replied.
"How's that?" asked the lady. II
thought they were all savages living
in the woods"
well. I'll tell you how I came
here" he said. "A month before
left the Philippines l was living in
the woods, but the American COVER
nor decided to catch as many wild
men as possible. train them, and send
them over here. So the American
forces we're Immediately set in mo-
ton, we were taken from the woods
and kept for a month at the COVER
nor's palace, taught how to dress and
speak little English, and then sent
over here. So here am, Just as you
|see." And the st. Louis lady actual
ly believed him.
That is what you would call fam
cies about the Philippines. The fact
is, however. that the 100000 Fill
pinos and their ancestors have been
civilized and Christians for 800 years;
that the non-Christian population,
according to the census Of 1918, is
only 100000.
Another fancy is that not until
the coming of the Americans were
school buildings seen in the islands,
roads built, or substantial houses
erected. Do you know that for hun
dreds Of years the Filipinos have had
colleges and schools, and that the
University of Santo Tomas is only
rs years older than Harvard? That
as early as 1866, outsof population
of 100000 people, there were S41
schools for boys and 833 for girls?
That in 1892, eight years before the
coming of the Americans there were
2,127 schools?
ITO grant self-government to
Luzon under Aguinaldo would be
Luxon under Aguainaldo would be
like granting self-government to an
Apache reservation under some local
chief" Thus spoke a former presi-
dent of the United States during the
Fllipino-American w3r. Exaggera-
ton could be an excuse at a time
when the dignity Of the American
people demanded the extinction Of
Filipino opposition: but do you know
that the Philippine republic. before
the American occupation of the
islands, had the approval of promi-
|nent Americans who were on the spot.
like John Barrett. director of the
Pan-American Union, who compared
II favorably with the Japanese gov
eminent? That Admiral Dewey con-
Isidered the Filipinos better fitted for
than the Cubans?
That they had drafted constitution
at Malolos which elected the approval
of distinguished Republicans like the
late Senator George F. Hoar? That
before the coming of the Americans
they had produced national heroes
like the martyred jose Rial. who
has been proclaimed by an Austrian
writer. Ferdinand Blumentritt. as the
greatest man the Malayan race has
produced, and pronounced by Re
nublican congressman Renresenfa-
tive Cooper, az the noblest victim
that has ever fallen into the clutches
of tyranny?
Possibly the geographical situation
of the Philippines had something to
do with the fanciful estimate the st.
.OniC ladu hid Tho philinninoa 70