Evening star., 1925-01-04

islands for single year is worth Is
times that amount.
The desire OF the Filipinos for in
dependence has not been lost sight Of.
and gradually the way has been
paved for autonomy. The Jones act
of 1915 promised the Filipinos inde-
pendence when a stable government
should be established on the islands.
particularly interesting phase of
the Philippine situation is the Moro
question. There are about 100000
Moros who inhabit the southern is
lands OF the Philippine group.
The Moros are a timely subject Just
now because the Sultan of the Moro
tribes has asked that the Americans
establish school for girls like the
industrial and agricultural school
run by Americans for Moro boys at
Jolo.
This is rather a sensational devel-
opment in the history OF the Phil
ippine Islands. The Moros have a
worldwide reputation for being
among the fercest OF all barbaric
races. They are known as scalp coll
lectors, and as people who know only
one way of settling an argument
and that Is by gun or knife. Be-
sides this, they are Mohammedans
which implies the active antagonism
Of the follower of Mohammed to-
ward all unbelievers.
Not Safe a Decade Ago.
Ten years ago the Moro settlements
were no safe place for unguarded
Americans. But 10 years ago Bishop
Charles H. Brent, then Protestant
Episcopal Bishop OF the Philippines.
together with Mrs. C. Lorillard Spen-
Ger. planned to open a school for
Moro boys. They were told that they
would only start a bloody religious
war, because the suspicious Moro
chiefs would warn the people that the
Christians were trying to proselyte.
The bishop admitted this danger, but
he saw that the Moros were going
round in a vicious circle of resent
| ment, revenge and ignorance.
These people, who never bowed the
knee to Spain and never gave her a
cent OF tribute, even when she held
the Philippines in her power. have re-
spect for the American rule in the
Philippines. But oficial positions in
the southern islands are held by $50
Filipinos, and the Moros, who are a
distant race, distrust them.
Because Filipinos teach public
school classes, Moro families send
their children to school only by COM
pulsion and only for the few years
looked as though the Moros would 60
on indefinitely resenting the condi-
tions which surrounded them, because
there was no way for them to get
training to fit them to hold RESPONSE
BILE positions themselves
The American plan was to take a
group Of Moro boys and make them
into trained leaders. Funds were
raised among American philanthro-
49, Co. "a
of the proud Moro nobility were espe-
cialiy invited, because such boys
seemed most promising material for
leadership. but children from fam.
| lilies OF fishermen and farmers were
also admitted without class distinc-
ton. The Moro leaders agreed to
give the offer trial.
At first between 80 and 40 boys
enrolled. The first morning a teacher
who entered the dormintory found
every boy up and dressed and sitting
tenseIy on his cot with his barong, the
| native knife. on his knees.
Every boy was just waiting for an
affront, real or imaginary, from his
neighbor. The school took these
| young fighting cocks and kept them
so busy and 50 interested that they
soon forgot to be aggressive.
| The boys are taught to respect the
attainments of their people, but they
are inspired to make progress. Until
Gen. Pershing ordered them to give
UP guns and knives, the Moro way OF
tilling a field was to upturn the sur.
| face of the ground. a bit at time
with a barong, the same weapon
which could quickly take off ar
enemys scalp.
Boys Trained Practically.
BY slow labor in the broiling sun
| the Moro farmer raised a rice CROP
to feed his family. The school teaches
its boys the most practical ways OF