Evening star., 1935-12-13
BY BEN McKELWAY,
5taff Correspondent Of The Star.

Dtau correspondent OF Inc SLtI,
MANILA, P. 1.-The American odd
timers" in the Philippines say that
if President Quezon and his COM
monwealth government can muddle
through the economic mire that lies
ahead of them, maintain internal
order and keep their budget balanced
in spite of some old Spanish customs
they must still face the problem Of
the non-C Christian tribes, the Moharn-
medan Moros of Mindanao and the
Sulu archipelago and the pagan Igo-
rots of the mountains of Luzon. To-
gether, their tribes comprise some 10
per cent of the population OF the
islands
The Moros are the traditional bad
boys of the Philippines, whose term
for Filipino is the word "visaya," !"
which also means slave. When the
Americans came to the Philippines
there were less than 5000 free Fill
pinoS living in Mindanao, the second
largest island of the Philippine group,
and there were no Filipinos in the
Sulu archipelago the string of islands
lying between Mindanao and Borneo,
except those held by the Sulu chief
tains as slaves. For many years the
MoroS had been raiding the northern
island, even Luzon, where the more
peaceful Filipino lowlanderS lived,
bringing back slaves and women for
their harems. Ever since American
occupation and Pershings campaigns
to subdue the Moros. the government
of the Mohsmmedan tribes and the
pagan tribes has been more of an
American than Filipino problem. and
these people have come to regard the
Americans as their protectors against
the Filipinos.
Native Customs Respected.
In recent years more of the FilipinoS
have been placed in government posi-
tions over the non-C Christian tribes,
but always under American provincial
governors and American constabulary
commanders. 1t has been the policy
of the American Government-andt the
burean of non-Christian tribes of the
Philippine government-to respect
native tribes and customs, such as
the polygamy. which is still practiced
among the Moros who can afford 1t,
and to rule them with an iron hand in
order to discourage other native Gus
toms such as head hunting and stick
ing sharp spears between the ribs OF
trespasSerS. A genuine respect for
Americans and, on the part of the
Luzon Igorots at least, a genuine af-
lection Tor Americans has been the
result. What will happen when the
American provincial governors and
constabulary officers are withdrawn
and the traditional enemies Of the
non-C Christian tribes, the Filipinos,
placed in charge is question which
will be answered only by the wisdom
shown in selection of such men by
the government at Manila. According
to former. Vice Gov. Hayden, whose
long residence. on the islands and
specialized attention the nom
Christian tribes have given him a
thorough understanding of the prob
lem, if the appointment of provincial
governors and constabulary officers Is
confined either to Filipinos who know
their business or to representatives of
the native tribes, the chances are
there will be no serious trouble. If
the Manila politicians hunting for
good jobs get the better of Mr..
Quezon's judgment, there is apt to be
continued trouble and lots of it.
When the congressional party visited
Baguio, Manila's famed Summer re-
sort in the cool mountains, they met
good many G-stringed IgorotS and
were impressed by their fine qualities.
These people care nothing about in
dependence. As only or 6 per cent
of them are literate they haven't
taken a burning interest in politics.
They are the simple and sometimes
shy aborigines, whose rice-terrace cul-
ture goes back some nine centuries
and whose conception of the owner
ship of land does not always agree
with that shown by a lumber and
mine concession granting government.
One of their former representatives
in the Philippine Legislature, Rudolfo
K. Hidalgo, a graduate of the Uni
versity of Michigan, told me his peo-
pie are worried and anxious over the
departure of the Americans He said
they regarded Gov Hayden as their
savior" For generations among
these people the family ownership of
rice patch and a bit of land where
potatoes, beans and corns are grown
has been recognized. But the rest
of the land, the forests and the streams,
has been regarded as the common
property of all. Consequently, when
Philippine constabulary officers staked
out mining claims in the vicinity Of
Bondoc, capital Of the Mountain Prov
ince, and told the Igorots to show their
titles or get out, the word spread about
that the lowlanders were going to take
all their land. The constabulary off,
GERS were impressed with the deter
mined looks on the faces Of the Igorots
and the wicked knives at their belts,
and did not press their claims. But,
according to Mr.. Hidalgo, that is the
sort Of thing that may cause trouble
that and plain stupidity or arrogance
by appointed officials.
The Moro problem is likelyto be even
more delicate. There are many who
still regard as extremely unwise and
certainly unfair to the Moros the in
clusion Of Mindanao and the Sulu
Archipelago with the Philippine group
in granting the Filipinos independence.
The people who inhabit these lands
are not the same, in language or Gus
toms or temperament, as the Visayans
or the Tagalogs. And although the
Senate never ratified the treaty, it is
well known that when the American
military commanders finally subju-
gated the Moros the Moros surrend-
cred their arms with the formal un-