Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-12-05
Commander Hayes
Lauds U. S. Control and Pays
Tribute to People of Our In
sular PossessiOns-Says De-
sire For Education Is An OBJ
session With FilipinOs

off Maine does not wake UP. me
illiteracy here will be greater Witnlh
25 years than it is in the Philippine
Islands" said Lieut.. Commander AL
lison j. Hayes, u. S. N. chaplain at
the National Soldiers Home at To-
gus. in an address Friday night be-
fore the members of the Augusta
Rotary Club at the Augusta House
He declared that the industry OF the
natives is surprising and that they
are particularly interested in educa-
ton, so much so in fact that 1t Is
difficult to get them to do anything
else but study.
There are more children in the
public schools of Manila in proper
ton to the population" he declared,
"than in any city Of it's size in the
United States. There are $4,000 IN
high schools and about $4,000 in col
leges and universities. Over a mil,
lion children are in our schools, all
studying the subjects in the English
language"
In opening his talk the speaker de-
plored the lack of knowledge or the
Philippines and their needs and prop.
lens. He touched on the splendfd
service of the soldiers of the Span
ish- American war, saying that some
day there will be a new appraiser OF
the great service rendered by the
Spanish war veterans in taking ana
holding the Islands.
Chaplain Hayes said in part:
"As a matter of fact, when the dis
lance, the conditions of the climate
and topography, the equipment ana
preparation are considered, ana the
valour displayed both on lano ana
that
conquered these Islands and wreSted
them from Spain, has no equal in any
war thar has been waged by the
United States. Taken as whole the
purpose of the conquest. the value OF
the possessions, the high altruistic
attitude of the u. S. Government in
possessing and directing the affairs
of the peoples of those Islands, Is one
of the fairest pages in our glorious
history. For our help and interest m
the Filipinos we have the least TO
apologize for of any of our Interna-
tionaI interests, but have much e De
praised for. Our administrations
have been beneficial.
"Oyer 1000 miles from our Pacific
coast westward we find these 1888
islads composing the Philippines
with an area of $4,000 square miles.
extending from ATTITUDES Il north 10
4 north. They are not merely Jungle
covered, palm fringed islands, set
down in a Turquoise sea beneath
merciless sun. but have big noun
taips. beautiful valleys. a dozen ex-
cellent harbours. and some rivers OF
the length of the Hudson. The noun
tains and hills are covered with I'M
mense forests of valuable TIMBER.
minerals of all sorts are found, ana
rice. hemp, tobacco. sugar cane ana
cocoanuts are raised abundantly on
their fertile soils.
"There are about IL million peo-
pies in the Islands. They are ex-
ceptionally divided as to racial anc
language divisions. 1t is said there
are about 40 distinct ethnic groups
and about so dialects spoken In the
Islands. This makes the problem
of uniffcation and possible fndepend'
ence problematic for some years TO
come. Aside from this there are
some very marked racial animosities
existing that are slowly dying.
General Leonard Wood has prov
en- himself a master of the situation
in spite of the fact that we have nc
clear defined colonial policy. His
leadership. personality. and keen in
sight to understand the semi-tropi'
cal peoples and their racial charac-
teristics has made it possible to LII,
up the peoples until they are be
coming to be internationally recog-
nized as growing nation. Another