126 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



THE PHILIPPINE EXHIBITION. 



THE Philippine Hall is dismantled and the Philippine Exhibit 

 prepared at the recjuest of the United States War Department, 

 has disappeared from the Museum to reappear in Seattle on 

 the opening day of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. There, 

 given the same form that it had here, the same unity of idea, the same 

 harmony of color and decorative effects, it will remain in the Philippine 

 Building of the Exposition from June 1 until October 16, after which it 

 will return to be given permanent installation in the Museum. 



It is but little more than ten years ago that the Filipinos were in 

 insurrection against Spanish rule. They had known nothing of freedom 

 for nearly four hundred years, while this period of paternal government 

 had civilized them and made them feel equipped for freedom. Not 

 only had they no voice in the government, they had practically as little 

 control over Philippine trade. Their tobacco industry was a State 

 monopoly; their foreign commerce catered to Spanish interests and the 

 merchants of Seville. As to education, there was but one teacher to 

 every four thousand of population. The Filipinos had not even a me- 

 dium of communication with Spanish authority, for the agents of the 

 church in whose hands rested the management of schools, had kept the 

 Spanish language out of the curriculum in order to retain their power as 

 intermediaries between the people and the government. 



Then came American occupation in December, 1898; and, despite 

 the best efforts of the American government, the story of the Filipinos 

 in the years immediately following remained in many respects a sorry 

 one. With lack of understanding of English, with no knowledge of 

 America as a conquering nation, it was difficult indeed for even the most 

 enlightened of the tribes to look upon the American military governor 

 and the American army as friends instead of enemies. Guerilla w^arfare 

 was added to the ravages of the previous war and continued until 1902. 

 Rice fields were left to cogon grass and weeds; robber bands multiplied. 

 In addition, typhoons damaged the hemp plantations; the locust plague 

 destroyed crops; a "rinderpest" killed oft' the draft cattle; while cholera 

 and various tropical diseases brought dread results to the Filipinos 

 themselves. 



Slowly out of the blaclaiess of these years came trust in the American 

 government and a radical change in conditions. Children and teachers 



