AMERICAN "CLEAN-UP."

Northern Advocate, 1 May 1914, Page 8

AMERICAN "CLEAN-UP."

SLAUGHTER IN THE PHILIPPINES

PAGAN TRIBES EXTERMINATED.

# Sensational details,concerning the annihilation of a pagan army of Moros, estimated at some thpusands of men, by General Bershing and a United States force at Mindanao, the most southern of the 1400 Philippine Islands, were brought finto Sydney last week by Mr J. White, an American planter residing at Lais, in the Gulf of Davao.

The trouble, which ended in a practical "clean vp r " has been apparently brewing for some years, and has been caused primarily through the murders which from time to time have been committed on Europeans and American officers and soldiers by band? of fanatical Moros, known as ' 'Hucrmantados," who run amok for Christians.

The methods of the "Huermantado." in preparing himself for his self-im-posed sanguinary task, arc of a peculiar character. He first of all bandages

_____ __ j^ his body in white, and then the ol: his arms and legs are also bandaged. This is, so it is asserted, in order that he will have no feeling for what he is going to do. He then arrays hims«fc in white clothes, and sallies out on his

murderous mission, a crazy maniac, with, however, a special eye for American officers untl soidicrs. Up to within a short time ago,"when salutary ..vengeance was wreaked on the men, some of them could be seen almost every day in Jolo, a smalltown on Sulu sonic distance' from 'Davao,' «j&pit&rol' the island. After the murder pf ! Captain EKlridge, an American officer, ■'* who was butchered as he walked down the street, it was decided that pronounced action' was necessary, if the lives of the Europeans living on the island were to he preserved.

ANTIPATHY TO EUROPEANS,

Ol' the population of Mindanao, estimated at about ~00,000, half of them are said to be partially wild. A large proportion belong to the Visayos tribe, who arc Christianised to some extent, but the remainder are Moros (Mohammedan Malays), with practically no.religion, and one or two other tribes. The population of Sulu is about 51,389, under a Sultan, who acknowledged sover- ' ■ oignty to the United States in 1899. . The antipathy of the Moros to those, natives who have become Christianised is well known, and their hatred of Phiropeans, particularly Americans, is of an intense chnracter. The natives of the island were well armed, and after committing their atrocities it was usual . for then, to retire to their strongholds. ( ' Their excursions into the town of , ;.010 became so frequent and were so often attended by a trail of blood that ■ the Europeans at last'made a practice of shooting every man in white on, >„ ■iftht, but even this did,not stay the fanatics in their murderous warfare, and as a last chance for them General Pershing ordered that they should bring in all their arms and ammunition by a certain day. t - To the command thfe Moro chiefs returned most insolent answers, and took up a defensive position in three cottaos" or forts, about four miles away, from Jolo. Their arms in- • , eluded machine guns, and they had plenty of ammunition. THE BATTLE. General - Pershing leit Jolo overnight to attack the three strongholds. ' < His force included an Bth Infantry '. regimental,' Section, two mountain batteries, some light artillery,' and various companies;of native, scouts. In the course of a parley the general managed to get the Moros' separated from their women and children,'as he did not wish to slaughter, the. lat- ■ ter, and by means, of a boat attack 1 he surprised the' enemy in an unex- - , pected place. '* '. „ • \ The fighting,- which was of. a most, stubborn nature, lasted all night and all next day. The Moros wofcld not ',_" surrender, and they neither, asked ■ . - for nor gave quarter., They. Istood - in their serried masses, rushed again . ' and .again on their hateful invaders, - •, , only- to be mowed down at times like corn before the deadly fire ofAmeri- _ can artillery. ,* General Pershing led the American attack, in person, and with Captain ■ Charlton distinguished himself for bravery during the progress of the battle. < ' " v . / " ' Two of the forts were captured on the last night of the' fight, but the third .-took much longer, and •it was not finally occupied until the next . day. - .'■'■,' .The Americans lost about 17 killed and 50 wounded. The exact loss of the ' Moros was not fully known, but as.

their force was put odwn ait 6000, and no prisoners were taken, a fair estimate is that thousands of them, were killed. ' Asked how it -was that this news ' _ had not been received before, T .Mr' White said the matter had been kept ijuiet in case of objection being made , to the slaughter by people in America, ; and,his-information came*from-some', of the officers themselves wh,o toolpart in the battle. It was "to be membered also that the island if Mm"-" danao, which was near to Borneo/ was a very long way away from Man. , • ila. . Mr White adds that things were' quiet when he left Davao. ,