IN THE PHILIPPINES. 63 



stricken districts, and the people had no means of relief or redress 

 from this intolerable condition. 



It would be a pleasure to state that all the evil conditions men- 

 tioned above, as well as others, have been remedied, or relieved. 

 This, however, is not the case. At best, in the time which has 

 elapsed and with the funds available, it has been possible only to 

 make a good beginning. Much ridicule was cast upon the efforts of 

 the American government to better the sanitary conditions of an 

 Oriental population. It had been a fairly well-established rule in 

 other countries, in dealing with dependent peoples, to permit the 

 masses to live as they would and to direct efforts at sanitation largely 

 toward the benefit of Europeans. This policy, of course, was not in 

 accordance with the views of the people of the United States, happily 

 for the residents of the Philippine Islands, who are now enjoying 

 most of the benefits available to the residents of Europe or America. 

 The American sanitarian had much to learn, and in the beginning 

 his efforts were further hampered by the passive opposition of the 

 bulk of the population. 



The first campaign against cholera was not as successful as could 

 have been wished, but it paved the way to attacking future outbreaks 

 with greater result. It soon became apparent that nothing was to 

 be gained by the use of force. Methods of cooperation and of win- 

 ning the confidence of the people were rapidly substituted for more 

 drastic measures in controlling the disease. Early eft'orts to combat 

 plague, also, did not meet with complete success, although better 

 results were obtained than with cholera. In dealing with plague, not 

 only Filipinos but Chinese and other races had to be considered. 

 Efforts to bring the foreigners to the ways of the twentieth-century 

 hygiene often would have been ridiculous had the outcome not been 

 so tragic. 



In brief, it may be stated that the American policy has been to 

 bring about a sanitary regeneration of the Philippine Islands, not 

 in spite of the Filipinos, but with their cooperation and assistance. 



One of the first steps was to organize some 300 boards of health 

 throughout the islands, with Filipinos in charge. In many cases the 

 officials who composed these boards were brought to Manila and 



