Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
BY WALTER ROBB.

Twenty-seven years ago. 1901, the
United States dispatched from San
Francisco to the Philippines new
type Of conquerors, $50 school teachers
gathered from AZ States, the District
of Columbia, Hawaii and two foreign
countries. OF these teachers. 400 were
men and 100 women. and marriages,
some Of which took place at San Fran
cisco before the boat, the transport
Thomas, sailed, were the order of the
day at every port touched.
Great fun was made of the teachRrs
when they landed at Manila, then a
military community with the reguler
garrison of thousands of troops aug
mented by troops returned from the
| Boxer campaign. But the teachers
were used to making at their ex-
penSe; they had been making it them
selves all the way over in the ships
daily newspaper, the Briny Budget, of
which they issued at Honolulu a de
luxe edition.
People Eager to Learn.
Arriving at Manila August 81, they
received their assignments and scat
tered into the provinces far and wide
to staff the new public schools. Many
of the provinces were not completely
pacified-never mind, the teachers went
into them anyway and offered knowl-
edge in lieu of the Krag. The people
eagerly accepted the substitute and re-
turned to their peaceful pursuits in
order that their children might learn
the coveted secrets of the printed page
From an attendance of 10000 or so
the enrolment in the public schools
has climbed to nearly 100000, and
would be double that if the Govern
ment could provide enough schools
But of the original $50 teachers who
came to Manila on the Thomas only
% remain in the islands. However,
during every succeeding year the Phil
ippine Government has brought other
teachers out from the United States;
perhaps 1000 of the 5000 Americans
in the Philippines came here as teach
ers. Investment of their savings was
discouraged from the first, else the pro-
portion would be a great deal higher.
They could make no investments eX-
cept upon approval of their bureau and
department-that is, the Government.
Consequently, most of them put their
savings in the bank and left the islands
to make their future in the homeland.
Numbers DwindIe.
Many, too. died on active duty. NAL
adles provoked by poor sanitation ard
inadequate diet-conditions inevitabla
IN the provinces during the earlier
years-took many. Now there are fewer
than 300 American teachers in the
schools, but among the many thousands
OF Filipino teachers are the first pupils
OF the American pioneers.
These pioneers were not mollycoddleS,
they were hard-boiled men and women
who took hold of their tasks with up
rolled sleeves. It was as important to
teach base ball as arithmetic, and cook
ing ranked with grammar. The Fill
pino is as. ready 6 the next man now
to settle his alterations with the bare
fist-the American soldier and teacher
taught him the art of defense without
resort to the fan-knife or the bolo.
The Filipino girl is a neatly clad
creature, priding herself upon a clean
kitchen and good home.
Helped Pacify SuIu.
Abandoning teaching for other ca
reers in the islands, many Americans
have climbed high. One of the moc$
ticklish jobs in the islands is tina gqr-
ernorship of Sulu. In 1921 Carl NJ
Moore, school teacher, was given that
job by Acting Gov. Gen. Charles E.
Yeater. America had been disgraced in
Sulu, public affairs were in q most