178 THE PLANT WORLD 



little amusement. Many of the newspapers stated incorrectly that the 

 orders were issued for the benefit of the Governor and of the barracks, 

 as will be seen in the following extract : ' ' Interesting disclosures in 

 regard to the social conditions prevailing among the natives of the island 

 of Guam, which has recently come into the possession of the United 

 States, are made in a report made by the Governor of the island. The 

 report shows that the natives are inordinately lazy and raise only enough 

 crops to keep body and soul together. They have no idea of the value of 

 money and make no attempt to add to their material possessions, being 

 satisfied with a minimum exertion, just sufficient to keep them alive and 

 happy. * * * It appears from his report that he has set to bring the poor 

 benighted natives of that distant island to a better realization of the natural 

 wealth of their territory and to make it as productive and prosperous as 

 possible. * * * He forwards copies of two orders recently issued by him 

 and distributed broadcast over the island. They are printed in English 

 and were struck off from the first printing-press ever seen in Guam. 

 The first of these is calculated to compel each adult native to contribute 

 to the siipport of the Goveryiment by engaging in food production. This 

 order was dated October 4 and directs all who have no trade to plant 

 cereals, vegetables, etc., under more or less severe penalties. It is 

 stipulated that each citizen shall have at least twelve hens and one sow, 

 and continue in possession of them indefinitely. They must bring eggs, 

 chickens, and vegetables to sell to the Governor' s hotise and to the barracks at 

 stated intervals, and they must pay their taxes and discharge their other 

 indebtedness." [The italics are those of the author.] 



It is needless to say that the orders issued were not for the benefit of 

 the Government officials, but for that of the natives themselves, and at 

 no time were the natives required to bring provisions either to the Gov- 

 ernor's house or to the barracks. Equally untrue was another statement, 

 that the Governor ' ' commanded immediate wedlock for the whole adult 

 population of the island, and as a result the officers in charge of licenses 

 and marriages were worked half to death." 



t|c fl|p IF flf T Tp ^ ^ V 



I have set apart Mondays to hear divorce cases and grant marriage 

 licenses. On Tuesdays I listen to cases involving the ownership of land. 

 I am glad to have all the registration books intact. Some of them show 

 that large tracts, including small farms of natives, have come into the 

 possession of persons declaring themselves the owners of these tracts, 

 which were granted to them as pastures for their stock. There is no 

 adequate provision for the education of the natives. In Samoa nearly 

 every native more than eight years of age knows how to read and write. 

 Here a great proportion of the people are illiterate. On the other hand, 

 the habit of begging, which is so prevalent in Samoa, is here unknown. 



