Evening star., 1924-12-14
CHAPTER TO HEAR.
ABOUT MORO WORK.
Mrs. Coolidge Will Attend
Session of Educational
Foundation Here.

Mrs Coolidge will attend the meet
ing tomorrow afternoon at $3.50
O'clock of the Washington Chapter of
the Moro Educational Foundation at
Msmorial Hall. Right Rev. James E.
Freeman, Bishop of Washington, will
preside. Mrs. Herbert Hoover will
make a short address and will intro
duce Mrs. c. Lcrillard Spencer of
New York and Newport. who will
speak on the work of Right Rev. DR..
Charles Henry Brent and her own
work among the Moros in the Philip
pine Islands.
The Moro Educational Foundation
was instituted by Bishop Brent. Mrs.
Spencer and their associates of 10
years ago. Recently Mrs. Willard
Straight provided the funds to erect
an industrial school for Moro boys.
| Mrs. Thomas ]. Emery has just given
100000 to erect n school for Moro
girls. 1t is now pr"nosed to raise an
endowment fund of $780, 900 to provide
the annual budget tor the boys and
girls schools.
The Washington chapter of the
foundation. of which Newbold Noyes
is secretary and Robert N. Harper,
president of the District National
Bank. is treasurer, expects to secure
its quota In a few weeks.
Gently, "are the only Mohammedan
people in the world who are under
the protection of the American world
One of their chief centers is the Sulu
archipelago. Jolo is the capital of
the principal island of the group. In
1912 POLICY of good will was in
stilled by the American Government
The first step was the esta tablishment
of schools and hospitals. The Moro
n 1al Int . to-, i
in the founding of an agricultural
and industrial school for boys. The
school is now the principal influence
making for peace in the island The
Sulu Press has been of great value"
the bishop said. This paper prints
it's pages both in English and Moro.
The story that Mrs. Spencer tells
is one that reads like pages from
book of fiction. During the years
when the Government was having
difficulties with the islanders and
outlaws were sniping at American
soldiers, she worked on at the school
and finally facing the greatest of
disadvantages. won over the respect
and liking of the Moros.
| Once when the Moro outlaws were
ordered to surrender by the Ameri-
can troops they sent word to the
school that they would surrender
only to Mrs. Spencer. The men sur
rendered, and later were all shot
down by the troops
The purpose failed" she said, ''but
/ had won the respect of the natives"
The National Institute of Social
Scientists recently awarded Mrs.
Spencer the Institutes gold medal for
her philanthropic work among the
Moros.
During the administration of Gen.
Pershing," says Mrs. Spencer, cit was
suggested that a new and kinder pol
10y should be adopted relative to
these peoples. There are less than
half a million of them, all told, but
they have great traditions among.
themselves.
"They trace back their lineage,
their royalty, further than some of
| the crowned heads and former
crowned heads Of Europe. They are.
a proud people. They never gave
their allegiance to Spain, and at the
beginning of our administration 1
am inclined to think we were not
wholly wise always and too much
! blood was split. But as time went
on and as we made but little head
way, the proposition came, why not
establish policy of good will? Why
not furnish hospitals for these people,
put schools through their country?
plans were made to develop this pol
Hey to the utmost"