commodation at Culion. And those thousands of helpless sick people cannot be abandoned on that distant island; therefore, I shall use some of the remaining money in my hands to hire ships and bring them to Manila. My money will then be exhausted.

"So, I shall liberate them on this town, directly on their arrival.

"Some of them are rather terrible to see, and all are extremely dangerous to have about. Therefore that, too, will need an explanation, which I shall provide, on a large official notice attached to the body of each leper. The notice will read:

'Released, and at Large Because the Legislature Refuses to Appropriate Funds for His Care.'"

Nor were these idle threats. The American Director of Health meant every word he said. This his hearers knew— knew also that he would carry out his promise to the last detail.

They therefore reconsidered forcing his action and made the appropriations required.

In the long run, however, victory remained with the politicos. Gradually they sapped, mined and destroyed the great work of the preceding decade. And Dr. Heiser, seeing the inevitable outcome, dropped a useless struggle, to take up in its stead the Directorship of the East of the International Health Board of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Attacking the people's health defence at its roots, politics now almost completely dominated the University of the Philippines. The University Medical School had never actually applied for official rating in America. Had it done so at any time previous to Filipinization, it would undoubtedly have been accorded Class A standard. But after seven years of Mr. Harrison's régime it was generally conceded that the University of the Philippines Medical School could not attain C Class by American rating.

Further, it was commonly observed in Manila that any medical student having a friend on the Board of Control was

assured, whatever his other qualifications or lack of them, of being awarded marks sufficient to secure his medical degree.

And when a degenerating influence of that kind can reach to expression in a National University, it is not difficult to imagine the poison infused through other governmental activities from the same source.

The Philippine General Hospital, so excellently designed and built by Dr. Heiser and Mr. Dean C. Worcester, gradually dropped to its present unpleasant state, wherein scarcely an American, physician or patient, is able to use it, choosing instead the very inferiorly housed and equipped private hospitals and responsible care.

And, as a final example of the effect of the change, the Bureau of Science, that great right arm of health administration and scientific control, was crippled throughout, or, in some branches entirely annihilated. This was accomplished, first, by debasing the institution to the level of a political perquisite; and, second, by a wholesale fund-slashing whose object was to crowd American scientists out of faculty and staff positions. The work done in the biological laboratory, until then of the most distinguished quality and of world-wide importance, now no longer enjoyed the confidence of Manila's medical profession. And the Bureau's publication, the Journal of Science, whose standing had been eminent throughout the world, soon fell to the point where it yet remains-valueless and discredited.

When the Wood-Forbes Commission arrived only a few poor skeletons, mouldering here and there, remained to show what and where had been the great health work of America.

This, and some quarter of a million needless deaths, makes one of the prices that the innocent Filipino people continue to pay for their Big Caciques' seven years' indulgence in practically complete "autonomy."

In making the above statements, as well as some others in this book, the fact has not been forgotten that the Wood-Forbes report and Governor-General Wood's annual messages may in

part be adduced in refutation thereof. But the Wood-Forbes report, with possibly questionable judgment as events suggest, strained many a point to favour the picture, and on many a statement let its hope for the future development of the people colour its view of their present status. And General Wood in particular has again and again been guilty of leaning far over backward in the endeavour to encourage the Filipino leaders to set themselves higher standards by helping them "save face," and putting forward the most charitable view of their record. In return, the Filipino political leader has not hesitated to make use of unbridled mendacity in attacking America and her administrators. It therefore seems likely that a plain statement of fact will render better service both to America and to the Islands than will any further flattery.

Chapter XVII

CHILDREN IN THE DARK

BRIGADIER-GENERAL PALMER E. PIERCE, U.S.A., recalls from personal experiences with our Philippine Expeditionary Forces an incident thoroughly illustrative of life in the Islands.

It was late in the fall of 1899. General Pierce, then, of course a junior officer, was stationed in the town of Dagupan, Province of Pangasinan. The United States Army's task, there as elsewhere, was to bring order into the country and to keep watch, ward and a regulating hand over the people. Therefore when, some fifteen miles back in the mountains, a perfectly new town turned up-a town without a record, the army was interested.

The first detail sent out to investigate reported a body of at least 20,000 natives, living in an obviously brand new "grass" community most unreasonably planted in poor, wild land and so removed from sight and access as by that fact alone to arouse question. But the question carried no visible

answer.

So again a detail was despatched—again and yet again, at irregular times, by different approaches, to make surprise visits.

The surprise, however, never came off. On each and every occasion, as our men neared the place, the town band rose up in its way, made profound respects, and then, marching first up the leafy trail, played the surprise party into bounds with loud triumphant music.

Each succeeding expedition of enquiry returned to camp with the same blank report as far as essentials were concerned. The town was an uncommonly good town, they said. Too new to have gathered as yet much dirt. Uncommonly well

laid out, in twelve streets radiating from a central plaza. Everybody seemed comfortable and happy and, yes, particularly lazy.

As to why this multitude should so suddenly have appeared in the spot, as to what kept it there, our officers, after all their sudden inspections, remained as wise as before.

At last a detachment was sent to live in the place. But even this, after weeks of observation, added to the information on hand thus scantily:

The townsfolk seemed to be doing little or no productive work of any kind, and yet to have food and supplies sufficient for their comfort.

The head man claimed to be Jesus Christ, and, under that title, ruled over a populace now grown to 25,000.

The radiating streets divided the town into twelve sections, over each of which ruled a lieutenant of the head man, each bearing the name of one or another of the Twelve Apostles.

"Jesus Christ" appeared to be a Spanish mestizo. He was a very dapper, dandified little chap dressed like a young peacock and wore always the most splendid top-boots as an essential to his toilette.

"These people seem thriving," the resident officer's report repeated, "but their means of support is invisible. And the town is continually and rapidly growing. Families keep arriving from beyond the boundaries of the Province-even from Ilocano towns far to the north. The organization, whatever it is, works perfectly."

Meantime a curious succession of murders was occurring, scattered widely over the district. For example, in one village a party of eight or ten strange men turned up one day, went straight to a shack selected apparently at random, plucked out the inhabitants of the shack, a family of nine people ranging from grandparents to babies, led the nine to the town plaza and there summoned all the villagers to assemble.