Annual Report

Manila, P. I., November 7, 1904. SIRS: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of the various bureaus of the department of commerce and police during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, and for the months of July and August, 1904:

BUREAU OF PHILIPPINES CONSTABULARY.

The Philippines Constabulary were increased from 275 officers and 6,774 enlisted men at the beginning of the fiscal year to 288 officers and 6,950 enlisted men at the close. The necessity and importance of this force are conclusively shown by the record of their performance during the year and by the fact that the American troops in the islands, numbering at the beginning of the fiscal year 18,000 men and occupying 79 posts, have been reduced to 12,000 men occupying 39 posts. Of the 50 companies of scouts, numbering 5,000 men, 31 companies were detailed to service under the chief of the Philippines Constabulary during the fiscal year and actively engaged in assisting in the maintenance of order. The present arrangement, however, is unsatisfactory in one respect. The scouts are under-officered, and as the law provides that they can only serve under the chief or assistant chiefs of the constabulary it is impossible to use the bulk of the officers of the Philippines Constabulary to supply the deficiency in the number of scout officers, thus creating a dearth of men who can command the scouts. This makes it impossible to divide the scouts up into small detachments, such as the peculiar needs of the service require. It is estimated that the efficiency of these troops could be increased 100 per cent if they were given the additional officers which the law has made provision for them to have. The value of native troops has passed wholly beyond the experimental stage and is demonstrated beyond question. The chief of the constabulary reports:

The service of the native troops has conclusively shown the wisdom of their creation. In the first place, they are efficient and relatively economical. In the second place, their organization, with the training and education they receive, materially aids in the development of the country. The experimental stage has passed.

The constabulary are to be congratulated upon having so far reduced the ladrones that it is now safe to travel practically throughout the archipelago. During the year the officials of all the departments of the government, including nearly 1,000 teachers, officers of the forestry bureau, mining bureau, bureau of agriculture, ethnological survey, provincial officers, supervisors and foremen in charge

WAR 1904-VOL 13-1

of construction of roads, have traveled from end to end of the islands, penetrating regions hitherto unexplored and seeing people who have never before seen white men, and almost without exception have not been molested. Members of the Commission and other officials go freely everywhere unarmed and without guards. The activity of the constabulary has resulted in practically wiping out the curse of ladronism, which has done so much to render any real development of the islands impossible. They have hunted these scattered bands down, killed or captured the members, until now there are only a few of the old leaders left, and these skulk in the mountains with the weight of public opinion against them, many of the natives who used to help them now endeavoring to effect their capture and giving information of their whereabouts to the authorities, so that they hardly dare to sleep two nights in the same place. In the course of this work parties of constabulary have covered over 158,000 miles, as against 222,000 in the previous year. They have captured 706 firearms in 1904, as against 948, and it is believed that these captures have reduced the number of arms illegally held in the archipelago to such a point that there are at present outstanding not more than were captured in the last year. During the year they killed and wounded 570 outlaws, as against 1,185 in the previous year, and captured 1,364, as against 2,722. Their losses were 53 men and 2 officers killed this year, as against 78 men and 5 officers in the previous year. The loyalty of the men is demonstrated by the fact that there were but 52 desertions, as against 84 in the previous year, and considering that 23 of these were concerned in one mutiny, which was instigated by the return of the insurgent leader Ricarte, now serving a long term in Bilibid Prison, it can be seen that the percentage of desertions is so small that for all practical purposes it can be considered negligible. For the purposes of administration the archipelago is divided into five constabulary districts. The first district, covering the provinces nearest Manila, is inhabited mostly by the Tagálogs, who have been the cause of most of the disturbances. This district has been under the very able command of Colonel Scott, whose enforced departure to the States on sick leave is very much regretted by the department. The whole district is in a condition of unprecedented tranquillity and, except for a handful of scattered outlaws, too hardly pressed by the constabulary to be able to gather any bands or to commit depredations, there are no disturbing elements to the peace of the community.

In the second district, comprising practically all of the south of Luzon, reports show everything more quiet than at any time in its history. The body of the outlaw Roldan and four of his companions were recently brought in by his own men for the reward offered by the government, thus removing the only disturbing element.

In the third district, comprising the Visayan Islands, the Pulajanes, who are religious fanatics, have recently become involved in an outbreak which extended through parts of Cebú, Leyte, and Samar. Bands of these people, armed with a few guns and many bolos, have kept in hiding in the mountains and have descended on the coast towns in different directions, burning a few houses and murdering a few people, mostly natives, and indiscriminately men, women, and children. The whole movement seems purposeless and is un

« 이전 계속 »

도서

Annual Report, 5권,페이지 3