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Show f GARFIELD GUNNELL, HERE FROM PHILIPPINES, SEES SHIPLOAD OF d . COOLIES ON WAY TO FRANCE i ! The Philippine Islands are as truly I a American and as keenly patriotic as I i ifny part of the "states," according to I -fe Garfield Gunnell, U. S. customs ofllcer I $ of Manila, P 'I., who is in Ogden. Mr. I iq Gunnell Is a son of Judge V. C. Gun- I f j nell. He is sojourning here for the ft f first vacation of any length in sixteen Irv years. During his absence, Mr. Gun If nell has been in the islands as school I , teacher, journalist and customs officer. I He has also toured the world since I j leaving Ogden. Mr, Gunnell contem- I plated coming lo America on this trip Ijk by going through northern China, SI- I" berla. Russia, and thence to New York but was not granted passports and per-I per-I mission by the government because of the prccariousness of the trip. On a I former trip home he left the islands j J and went through the Straits Settle- ' ments. via India, Egypt, Palestine, Eur- ! ope, the British Isles ana thence to 1 New York. Islands Enthusiastic. "In the Philippines the spirit is very Intense over America's participation in the war," he said, "and many of the people living there censured the government, for not- entering the war 1- two years ago. After the declaration K a wave of lively patriotism swept the fi islands and the natives and Americans F there Immediately started lo help the government. A-native organization of R some 50.000 troops was immediately f perfected and the services of this body tendered the United States for use In. the war. Because the Filipino is nat- L urally a tropical man. and needs long and tedious training, the offer was not , accepted. It was thought these troops l , would not endure fighting in the cold IS- of France. The government appreclat- Liberty Loan Buyers. 1 "When the first liberty loan was an nounced, so enthusiastically did the Filipinos and Americans living in the islands embrace this opportunity to help the government, that the allotment allot-ment was subscribed in Manila in the first two days." Mr. Gunnell said he applied- for a bond on-the third day and found him-'.aolf him-'.aolf to be "out of luck.'" It has been about three months since he left the : Islands "so he does not know how the present loan lias been received. "Before the war the Filipinos were ,clamorlng for total independence, but ; since the-war they have realized their i i true position and are quiet. The gov-, ernment has given local goignmcnt iand the Filipinos virtually rule thorn-1 ji i eelvcs. The" American governor of the j ' ! Islands is about the !only check the -United States places upon them and , i this is necessary because, after all, I i'they are not ct at the stage of dc- velopment and progress where they are entirely capable of self-government. Besides, they realize that since treaties are nothing but 'scraps of paper" pa-per" in the opinion of some aggressive nations, that their position under Uncle Un-cle Sam's wing is more secure than it would be if they were alone. "The school system in the islands is productive of a vast amount of good. The government has organized the schools on an extensive basis and is giving instruction In every department of the islands. But still there arc not enough schools or teachers lo take care of the approximate school population popula-tion of 500.000 students. Consequently 1 the schools are crowded at all times. I The Filipino is eager to learn and i proves an apt pupil. Laws compelling attendance would be a farce in the! islands because the students crowd the buildings until there is no room and many have to be turned away. All instruction is given In English and the youngsters rapidly acquire a fair command com-mand of the language. There are sev-eral sev-eral dialects in the islands but many of the American teachers learn them and can speak quite fluently in tho native'. "The Filipinos are loyal to the Unit ed States. They arc aa loyal as any of itB citizens, 1 should venture to say. They have been treated with the utmost ut-most kjndncss and consideration by this government and cannot And fault. Local offices in the government and positions wherever possible have been given to natives and this has built up a spirit of co-operation and union that Is resulting in a closer and stronger hnnri' between tho two countries." Mr. Gunnell remarked especially on : the growth of Ogden and stated that the city had undergone a considerable change for the better since he was here. "Seattle. Portland and numerous other oth-er coast cities, which I have seen," I he said, "seem to grow overnight enormously enor-mously but I notice in Ogden that steady, substantial growth which sees no rebound and -vhlch spells general i progress and prosperity." On the boat on which Mr. Gunnell sailed from the islands were 1700 coolies cool-ies from Northern China, who were being be-ing taken to Europe to be used as laborers la-borers In France. This number was part of an Immigration of 300,000 going to France for the period of the war to j perform agricultural and industrial! ! work wherever they could be used. 1 They were landed at Vancouver, B. C. and placed Immediately on waiting trains and started across the contin-I contin-I ent to New York where they are lo j take ship for France. The coolies have been .recruited In Northern China and allowed to sign contracts for three years of work at $11 per month. Thi is the provision France is making lo care for her critical labor situation, Mr. Gunnelj plans to spend a few months in Ogden visiting his father and resting and will probably then return re-turn to the islands In the .customs service. |