The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-20

cans, especially in these days when
naked Sioux or Hottentots have be-
come rare sight indeed. And in pro-
portion as the Golfers of the exhibitors
were being filled to OVERLOOKING,
American opinion on the F'ilipinos and
things Philippine was being enlight-
ened negatively.
A little later, couple OF cute lit
Tie volumes appeared in the book
world and We're Systematically adver-
tised, replete from the first leaf to
the last with pictures of naked, long
haired .Negritos in the actual pose of
releasing an arrow from the string OF
their bow or terpsichoring to the tune
of the venerable gongt
simultaneously with the exhibitions,
Philippine independence was being
agitated. Intentionally or unintention-
ally, maliciously or otherwise, those
exhibitors did more harm to the Phil
ippine cause than all the other cam
paigns against ii launched in open
ground.
Since then the American press have
written editorial after editorial alleg-
ing in unpleasant terms that indepen-
dence cannot be the birthright of a
people primitive in all respects and
still in the age of savagry. Thus, even
in the hey -dey of the goth century,
when distance is said TO have been an
initiated by the wonderful creations
OF mems minds. when peoples are supl
posed to be fairly Well acquainted with
the wondrous transformations OF ma
tionalities faring elsewhere than I'm
ones immediate environment, when
hannpniF1os arf nfy Ia t,1a
ct are communicable to all other parts
with lightning like rapidity-even in
this wonderfully enlightened age,
there are such things as an entire ma
ton being flagrantly misrepresented
and the misrepresentation taken for
granted.
What. then. is the truth about the
so-called wild tribes OF the Philip
pines Are they savages irretrive-
ably Are they susceptible of being
civilized ? Must their presence pre-
vent the recognition of the righteous
claims OF Philippine nationalism The
following facts are submitted to cam
did America:
Number is Small.
There are about 100000 pagan peo-
pies in the Philippines. This number
includes every non Christian tribe
from Luzon to Mindanao. II In one
twentieth of the entire population
which is 10.50O,000. When, therefore,
writer's speak of a people just being
redeemed from the abyss of savagery,
the statement applies only to the in
significant portion of the entire popu-
lation of the archipelago 1t does not
apply to the other portion. the 10000
900 civilized and up-to-the- minute
Christian F'ilipinos, transformed into
Medieval Europeans long before the
Americans came today fast being
Americanized, and actually conducting
a republican form OF government I'M
baffled by it's intricacies. Yet, the gen.
eral impression of America is that all
the inhabitants of the Philippines are
as fresh from the paleolithic stage
newly matched chick is from it's egg.
The most numerous of the so-called
pagan tribes are the Igorots of Luzon
and the Moros OF Mindanao. The lat
ter, however are Mohammedans. and
have a civilization of their own.
Experts in Soil Cultivation.
In intensive cultivation OF the soil.
in the way the Igorots cultivate the
steepest mountain side, this world and
age have yet to look for their superb
ors One has to see the rice terraces
of the sub province of Ifugao rising
like giant steps up the sides of steep
mountain canyons to a height OF three
thousand feet or more. If he must
realize the colossal Industrial under
taking. the marvellous engineering ac-
complishments OF these simple people.
In the words of American writer,
those terraces present an inspiring
sight: and viewed in connection with
the primitive condition of the people,
there is nothing comparable to them
in the world. The pyramid Of Cheops.
or the talIest 'skyscraper' in New
York would appear insignificant be-
side these clearcut, Herculean achieve
ments of the ancestor worshipping
Igorote"
The pacific conquest of the noun
tain people as well as of the Moros OF
Mindanao Is fast being achieved.
Head hunting is now a dim vision Of
the past. The Moro bandits of the
south have settled down. The land
where Pershing first made his name
is being completely TRANSPORTED. The
creed Of Jesus Christ is enlisting pros
elyte after proselyte. While trade
and intercourse are hurrying witt
their stimulating touch.