MANY ISLANDS

Evening Star, Issue 21623, 19 January 1934, Page 12

MANY ISLANDS

THE PHILIPPINES THEIR ROMAHTIG HISTORY SNATCHED FROM SPAIN It is almost unbelievable that the Philippine Archipelago contains. 7,083 islands (says the Melbourne ‘Age’). Spain and Portugal used to quarrel about the ownership of the group. The Pope in 1494 had decreed that the world should be divided into two hemispheres. the western part to go to Spain and the eastern half to Portugal. But in which half lay the Philippines ? It is amusing to read that Spam claimed them and sent Magellan by the western route to the eastern seas. He landed on the Philippines in 1521, but when a second Spanish fleet arrived they found the way barred by the Portuguese. A later expedition was more successful, and in 1570 the Spaniards took possession and the islands were named the Philippines, after Philip, Prince of the Asturias, and son and successor of Charles I. For about two centuries Spain had to defend her new conquests against the attacks _of Portuguese and Dutch, but war having broken out between Britain and Spain, a blow was aimed at the Spanish Indies and in 1762 the islands were ceded to the British Crown. Quick on the heels of the conquest arose a Gilbertian, situation. In 1763 nows reached Draper, the British Commander. that by the Peace of Paris the Philippines had been given back to Spain. The Spanish _ Commander had not received information, from his Government, and refusing to accept the situation made it the excuse for an attempt to recover the islands by force of arms. Fighting went oh until in the following year the Spanish leaders received a copy of the Peace of Paris, and thereupon agreed to the British evacuation. On one of the promenades of Manila stands a handsome monument commemorating in eloquent terms the expulsion'of the British by the gallant Spaniards I SEEDS OF REVOLT. , The later history can be briefly told. The yoke of Spain was heavy, and the eight millions of people resolved to cast it off. The most formidable rising took place under. Aguinaldo in 1896, and the grievances of the natives centred chiefly upon extortion, excessive and unequal “taxation, and ecclesiastical interference in the affairs ef the State. Fighting went on untiLlß9B, when America declared war against Spain, Admiral Dewey destroyed the_ Spanish fleet at Cavite, captured Manila,.and saw Aguinaldo declared First President of the Philippine Republic. The.new world of the West came to the . help of the ancient east. . ■ . The Philippines are close neighbours to the furtner Orient. It is only. 631 miles from Manila to Hongkong, and 573 miles to Sandakan, .the seat of the British Bornean Administration. Shanghai is only 1,162 miles distant. Singapore 1,370, and Yokohama 1,757., Time cannot' fail to add to_ the international importance of the Philippines. Contrast with these _ proximities the enormous stretches which separate the United States from Manila. To San Francisco it is 7,164 miles; to Los Angeles 7,520, to Seattle 6,923. More impressive still are the distances from New York to Manila. Via Panama it is 14,533 miles, and via the Suez Canal 13,288. If an American is in the Phillippines and writes home his let-’ ter takes thirty days to Teach its address. The Monroe Doctrine stands in a new light when one contemplates what seems not unlike an American dominion for overseas. Our cousins in the States are now keenly appreciative of the difficulty of governing another race. The payment of £4,000,000 and the promise of independence hate created new problems in the ethics of statesmanship, and prompted Admiral Dewey to recall the saying of Lincoln—“ No man is good enough to own another man.” The best intellect in America that complete independence is inevitable, and particularly on the part of a nation-which celebrates Independence Day. ' THE MAIN ISLANDS. These 7,083 islands of the Philippine Archipelago have a total area of 114,000 square miles. ‘ The only large cities are Manila, Cebu, and Iloilo. A glance at the map shows that the islands run north-west and south-east, and have a coast line greater than that of the United States. They are washed on the east by the Pacific Ocean, and in the north-west by the China Sea, extend from sdeg to 22deg north latitude and from 117 deg to 127 deg east longitude. To the north lie the Japanese Islands; to the south Borneo and the Celebes Islands. The main sections of the Philippines are the great lands of Luzon and Mindanao, each of them having an area of about 40,000 square miles, that is, considerably larger than Scotland, and about half the size of Victoria. The next largest l are Mindoro, Paraqua, Samar, and Panay. _ ■ The whole group is mountainous and volcanic, lying as it does in the direct line of the vast igneous chain. The eastern part develops the lofty cone of Mayon (9,000 ft), and Bulusau in the south-east of Luzon. The highest point in the entire Archipelago is Apo, 10,400 ft, In each of the islands is a ridge of mountains, one of whose slopes is near the sea. What plains there are lie about the lower courses of the rivers. One of these, the Cagayar, drains about one-fourth of Luzon, and flows northward about 220 miles. In Mindanao the Agusan is navigable by large vessels for over sixty miles. Lakes are abundant, and send their overflow to all the surrounding, waters. The climate is moist and hot, and there are two seasons—the wet and the dry. At Manila the rains last from June to November. The temperature varies from 77deg in December to. 86deg in May. MUCH GROWTH. The flora is exuberant. Magnificent forests of valuable timber fill vast spaces of country. Rice, maize, cotton, and coffee are widely cultivated, while the tobacco is second-only to that of Cuba, and the hemp is world-famed. Crocodiles, snakes, buffaloes, and bigbons are plentiful. Minerals and metals are abundant. Rice is the crop of the islands, and the production of sugar steadily increases. Only 12 per cent, of the total areas is cultivated. Railroads have been built only in Luzon, Panay, and Cebu. Manila is a city 300 years old. Despite its modernity, it has Spanish features, and in its finest quarters one sees the ancient carts drawn by the native ox. The Pasig River flows through the city, and the mountains make a fine background. There are 350,000 Filipinos in Manila and about 7,000 Americans, who represent sugar, coconut, and rubber industries. The natives are of the Malayan stock, are kindly and polite, and have eagerly availed themselves of the educational and other facilities provided by America. One authority eulogises their artistic aptitude. Every; village has a band*

and every hbme a piano, harp, or native instrument. Italian opera companies get packed houses. The natives themselves provide dramatic representations. The Filipino is smaller than the Caucasian. Five feet six inches is a considerable height in the islands, but the natives are agile and athletic. As a rule they bathe two or three times a day, are fond of dress, baseball, boxing, tennis, and football. In the home the woman keeps the purse, and in business holds responsible positions., Village life is gay and joyous. The religion is almost entirely that of the Spaniards. '