190 THE PLANT WORLD 



administration of the officials, the work accomplished and in contempla- 

 tion, and the public advantages the island affords by reason of location 

 and physical features. The orders were issued incompliance with a tele- 

 gram from the War Department, stating that "the President would be 

 glad to have Joseph Wheeler perform this duty." The order was prob- 

 ably issued in consequence of complaints made of interference on the part 

 of the Governor with the religious and civil rights of the inhabitants. In 

 informing the Governor of General Wheeler's approaching visit, the 

 Admiral in command at Cavite directed him to receive the General with 

 all the consideration due his rank, distinguished .services, and high char- 

 acter, and to give him unofficially all possible information and facilities 

 for the performance of his mission, but to decline to recognize his instruc- 

 tions as official. A later telegram was received from the Navy Department 

 stating that by order of the President, General Wheeler proceeds to Guam, 

 and directing that the Governor of Guam recognize his visit as official ; 

 but that General Wheeler's authority isonl3'^to report upon the condition 

 of things there. A copy of this communication was forwarded by General 

 Otis to General Wheeler, and handed by him to the Governor on his arrival . * 

 At General Wheeler's request I was detailed to accompany him on a 

 tour of inspection over the island. The Governor offered his two fine 

 white horses to the General and his secretary, and Don Pedro Duarte 

 kindly lent two of his horses to me and Mr. Bengough. Our trip this 

 afternoon was across the island to Pago and back. During the journey 

 General Wheeler asked me many questions about the island and the inhabi- 

 tants. I told him of the steps we had taken to protect the natives against 

 strangers coming to the island for the purpose of speculating in land ; of 

 the circumstances which led to the orders restricting and finally abolishing 

 the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors ; of the growing scarcity of 

 fowls, pigs, and provisions by their unrestricted sale to visiting ships; 

 of our efforts to induce natives to secure legal titles to their farms and to 

 interest them in agriculture and the rearing of animals ; of the patriotic way 

 in which the natives celebrated Thanksgiving day ; and of the loyalty with 

 which Father Palomo had seconded all our efforts toward improving the 

 condition of his people. I explained to him the old system by means of 

 which the natives had been tempted to go into debt so as to be held in a 

 condition of peonage, and the custom of paying in advance for their copra, 

 so that they might take the equivalent in goods from the traders instead 

 of money ; and I tried to explain the system of land taxation which I had 

 devised after reading Henry George's works on the subject. The General 

 seemed to be very much interested, and asked me what steps we had taken 

 toward the education of the natives. I told him that we had no money 



*See " Report on the Island of Guam," by General Joseph Wheeler, U. S. Army, published by the 

 War Department, June, 1900. 



