Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-09-11
IN
REVIEW
BY Mai. Gen.
= D. P. Barrows

u. r. DdTTOWS
TIIE date for Gen, MaeAr-
L thurs attack for the liberia
ton of the Philippine Islands
seems to be approaching.
1t is anticipated that his first
assault upon the japanese will
be on the island of Mindanao.
This island is the fourteenth
In point of size of all the islands
in the world.
II is a huge sprawling mass
of volcanic territory about 400
miles wide.
Somewhat like Halmahera
and Celebes. long peninsulas
thrust out from the central
formation.
Along its irregular southern
coast there are a number of
deep bays and shores, where
amphibious landings could be
made against little or no Japa-
nese resistance.
What points will be chosen Is
of course unknown, but for
some days MaeArthur's air
force has been striking heavily
at the japanese colony at Davao
and at several air fields In the
vicinity Of that town.
nAVAO is the name of SUBJ
IL province OF Mindanao and
Sulu, sometimes called Moro
land" It Is also the name for
the great gulf. and for the i'm
portant town. situated on the
gulf. The Gulf of Davao is about
IS miles in length, from Cape
Augustin northward to its head.
The west shore is circuitous
and makes the widest portion of
the gulf more than 40 miles,
The town of Davao lies on the
western side, beneath the beau
ttul cone of Mt. Apo, which Is
an active volcano and the high
est mountain peak in the Philip
pine archipelago.
The eastern slopes Of this vol
cano, down to the shores of the
gulf. are composed efFieh soils
of disintegrated lava. the sort of
soil that supports the growth of
the banana-like. plant called
abaca. the fibres of which give
the finest cordage material in
the world, famous as Manila
rope and twine
While this Davao region was a
part of the territory claimed by
the one-time famous Sultanate
Of Magindanao, the Mohamme-
dan Malays. or "Moros", never
settled there, except on an island
in the gulf, known as Samal.
The native population of these
hills and valleys was, and still
is, composed of pagan peoples,
the Bogobo and Mandaya, who
represent picturesque, inter-
mediate culture between the
civilized Malayas and the print
tive forest dwellers.
NEARLY a hundred years ago
~ Spaniards e m p e d TO
make an outpost on the site OF
the present town, but the settle
ment never flourished.
When l first saw Davao, in
1903. it was a decayed little
village with a few inhabitants.
But the soil and climate were
already recognized as matchless
for the production of abaca.
Shortly thereafter Americans
began TO develop plantations
along the western side of the
gulf.
A little later Japanese, who
knew the commercial value of
manila hemp" and who had
tried unsuccessfully to produce
the plant on the Island of For
mosa. began to move in.
In numerous cases these Japa-
nese bought up the American
plantations.
They were financed by the
Bank of Formosa, an agency
utilized by the japanese for
colonial exploitation.
THE japanese colony in
L creased rapidly. For years
the government of the Philip
pines treated their presence
with indifference. and failed to
exercise oversight of this aug
menting foreign colony.
During the first world war,
when / was assistant chief of
staff of the Department of the
Philippines. l sent an officer to
Davao 10 investigate the Japa-
nese situation there.
His report was astonishing. II
revealed a developed colony of
many thousands of Japanese
who had gone directly from
Japan 10 Davao, without pass
ing through any immigration
port. and had appropriated
many thousands of hectares of
1ooJ ,.,;tbout rafarapra IN tho