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Show " AMERICAN POLICY IN PHILIPPINES EXPLAINED Many Conflicting Statements Set at Rest School System Will Be Re-organized With Native Teachers. (Correspondence Catholic T'liiver-e.) Washington. Sept. 21. I have noted within th last month a number of statements in our press claiming to indicate the Philippine policy of tho administration, or. at least, of Governor Tafr, in relation to the friars and Catholic interests in general. gen-eral. Accordingly, the governor has appointed the enemies of the friars ami of the Church to im portant governorships; furthermore, tho friars aro afraid to leave the city of Manila without the protection pro-tection of the. government, and that they had asked for this protection but had been refused; again, tho government had decided to let the friars remain; lastly, the Filipinos were devoted to the friars and wanted them to roiurn, and many petitions" to that Q" ottect had boeeu sent to them from all parts of tho I . iskndd. After due inquiry at the war department and elsewhere I was enabled to gather some information informa-tion which will perhaps set at rest some of tho many conflicting statements that are going tho rounds of the press. The insurrecto generals were appointed by Governor Gov-ernor Taf't after their consultation with the others, and in their selection the utmost care w;ts taken. Only the more intelligent and conservative leaders were chosen, and the wisdom of tho selections has since been amply demonstrated. They were given strict injunctions against meddling in church affairs, af-fairs, and thf policy of non-interference iu rpli- -tations it is not invirtije of tho sacrament he has gious matters on the part of the American government govern-ment was explained to them most thoroughly, with an accompanying intimation that their official beads would be endangered by any other course. Thc.se governors have, almost, without, a single exception, ex-ception, followed their instructions to the letter, and have further proven their trustworthiness by an absolutely honest administration of their provinces, while many Americans in positions of trust have been found guilty of the most flagrant, robberies , of the government. ., It has ieeu stated over and ov-r ag.iti that ?hf ' friars would be in grave danger if they, ventured to return to their original parishes. Danger from whom i From the natives who love them and hav been clamoring and petitioning for their return i This is the veriest bosh. They feel perfectly safe in Manila, where there is a large body of our soldiers. sol-diers. Why should they not go to other cities in tlie islands, where equally strong army, posts are located? This they have never done and have never given the reason. In fact, they seem very capable of. looking after their interests and taking care of themselves, far better than their yomewhat judicious ju-dicious friends on this side of the Pacific imagine. If the insurrection had been successful against the Spaniards their property would have been seized and they themselves summarily expelled from the .V islands. The United States, however, stepped in at this juncture, acknowledged the title to their property prop-erty and in proof of it offers them $6,000,000 for it. They are modestly holding out for $12,000,000. or -t:0 an acre. As to the statement that the friars feel the need of, protection if they would go to their parishes, it can be said authoritatively that no one lias ever applied for such protection to the gover-nor. gover-nor. for the same reason that no priest in this country coun-try would apply to the governor of his state for protection to exercise his functions in any part of j. the country. There never was the slightest neces- 1' sity for it in any part of the Philippines where tho authority of the United States was supreme, and! no one is better acquainted with this fact than, the friars themselves. f The government has, however, learned one important im-portant fact, which has caused it to change its " policy in some branches of its administration of the c. islands. This is. that the American school teacher is a magnificent- failure, and the sooner he gets away from. the islands the better for all concerned. ; ?So more teachers will be imported, or, at present as few as possible, and the public school system will be given entuety into the hands ,t tlie filipinos. i The superintendent may be an American for a time, i and perhaps a few of the assistants, but even , these officials will eventually give way to natives. Congress has already provided for a gradual ex- j tension of local self-government, and this exten- sion is being rapidly inaugurated wherever condi- j tio.i- warrant. ' As to the Catholic church, she will again have I a solid foothold as soon at the necessary clergy is I provided, for the people of the Philippines are de- I vout Catholics, and need only the compelling in- j fluence of a well-directed organization to make , themselves felt as a factor iu the development; of their country under the new regime. 'If they will not assert themselves and fight for the rights of their religion there is no hope for them, but from all accounts they can be depended upon to do credit to their early training. The situation is rapidly cleaving and in a few years all the clouds will probably have rolled by. E. L. SCHAKF, Ph. D. |