AMERICA'S DANCER.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 115, 18 May 1906, Page 1

AMERICA'S DANCER.

FURTHER RISING FEARED IN

THE PHILIPPINES

In a recent issue of the "Daily Chronicle," a writer said:—All is not well with American rule in the Philippines. By reason of their proximity to the islands, Australians arc often in a position to learn facts with regard to America's latest colonial possession which are carefully concealed from the public in Europe and the States. Within the last few days I have had a long interview with a gentleman who has just returned from a six months' stay at Manila. His story is, to say the least, startling, but I may add that I have every confidence in his judgment. Put in a nutshell, what my informant tells me is that the Filipinos are no more wedded to American rule now than they were in August, 1898, when the armies of the Republic first closed their grip on the islands. In short, to quote his own words, " the Filipinos, having been betrayed by a promise of autonomy which has never been fulfilled, hate every whitefaoe in the islands with a steady, bitter, and undeviating hatred." Although to the outer world the insurrection iiT the group appears to have been suppressed, the truth is that it is still in progress within twenty miles of the capital, and to cope with it it is necessary to maintain an army. of 10,000 American soldiers in constant activity in one part or other of the islands. So serious is the position that the civilian residents declare that at any time within the next two years they fear a wholesale rising, with results and with incidents which will only be comparable to those connected with the Indian mutiny. "It will then be," said my informant, " a bullet in the head or a -knife in the back lor every white man, and those who are suspected of being friendly to the Republic, especially if they be clerevmen, will go first." The military authorities at Manila scoff at these fears, and say that the continued fighting is but the spluttering of a few raiding bands of Moros, who will in course of time be cowed or annihilated. To this the civilians at Manila—who inchicle a colony of about 250 Australians—reply that the military authorities are as children in the hands of the Filipinos. American espionage, for example, is as child's play to that of the natives. There are other reasons besides that of national feeling, it appears, to account for the failure of the Americans to pacify, let alone to conciliate, the islanders. Taxation under their rule has rison in the group from 2J per cent, of tho1 average income of the inhabitants( to M per cent. The war, the transition from Spanish to American rule, and tho insurrection partly account for this enormous inevjus'l. But the Filipino says that, bad as it was, he would prefer Spanish rula to that of America at such a prioo. !t must be remembered tha.t ihp, dominant race in the PliiHo t imss, Ihe Tagalos, which numbers b^.w-oen live and •six million souls, is a highly intelligent people, capable of -n ni.uh standard oi' development in civilisation. This race is the backbone of the i evolutionary movement. r!his nice IWIs that its amour propre Jias Lren wounded by the failure of the Americans to keep their promise of autonomy. Na tionalists to a man, the Tagalos will eventually dominate the whole of the Filipinos, conciliate the six or seven othar races, and produce such a wave 'of national consciousness that, whether they like it or not, ti'ie Americans will be compelled to either grant autonomy or enter upon a war of extermination.

Australians are naturally interested in the future of the Philippines, and this may be said without any danger of discounting the statements of nry informant, in whoso probity, I may repeat, 1 have every confidence. But it is to K«e what the establishment of the promised autonomy in the islands would mean for the Commonwealth. Many necessaries of life cannot be produced there, and under a system of freer commercial intercourse the Philippines would be able to draw fresh and cheap supplies from the fields and runs of Australia, to the great benefit oi' both countries.