The Bureau of Insular Affairs 



243 



been constant and imperative. Dif- 

 ferent civilizations, different systems of 

 law and procedure, and different modes 

 of thought brought into contact have 

 evolved a great crowd of difficult ques- 

 tions for determination. New facts as- 

 certained and changed conditions have 

 called for the interpretation and appli- 

 cation of our own rules of policy and the 

 establishment of further rules. Differ- 

 ent views as to the scope of authority 

 under the distribution of powers have 

 required reconciliation. The applica- 

 tion of the law of military occupation to 

 rights and practices existing under the 

 laws of Spain and the process of over- 

 turning inveterate wrongs have brought 

 about frequent appeals to the highest 

 authority, which, being in the name of 

 justice, have required consideration. 

 The work undertaken has been the 

 building up of government from the 

 foundation upon unfamiliar ground. 

 We have had no precedents, save the 

 simple and meager proceedings under 

 the occupation of California and New 

 Mexico, more than half a century ago, 

 and it has been necessary to decide 

 every question upon its own merits and 

 to make our own precedents for the 

 future. 



' ' For the performance of all these 

 duties full and accurate knowledge of 

 the conditions and proceedings of all 

 the governments in all the islands on 

 the part of the authorities in Washing- 

 ton has been required. It has been 

 necessary to follow them step by step. 

 The President and Congress have looked 

 to the War Department for information 

 as to how the trust of government in 

 the various islands was being performed, 

 and tens of thousands of applications by 

 the people of the United States for every 

 conceivable kind of information regard- 

 ing the islands have poured into the 

 Department in an uninterrupted stream. 



"Only thorough system could ar- 

 range, record, and keep available for 

 Use the vast and heterogeneous mass of 



reports and letters and documents which 

 this business has involved, furnish an- 

 swers to the questions, conduct the cor- 

 respondence, and keep the Secretary of 

 War from being overwhelmed in hope- 

 less confusion. The War Department 

 had no machinery for the purpose. No 

 provision for any such administrative 

 machine was made by law. Of neces- 

 sity, by the detail of officers and the 

 employment of the temporary clerks 

 authorized by law, such machinery has 

 been created in the Department with a 

 chief, an assistant chief, a law officer, a 

 competent force of translators, account- 

 ants, stenographers, and recording and 

 indexing and copying clerks. It is called 

 the Division of Instil ar Affairs of the War 

 Department, and it performs with admi- 

 rable andconstantly increasing efficiency 

 the great variety of duties which in other 

 countries would be described as belong- 

 ing to a colonial office, and would be 

 performed by a much more pretentious 

 establishment." 



This annual report of the Secretary 

 of War was followed by recommenda- 

 tions which undoubtedly resulted in the 

 following provision of "An act tempo- 

 rarily to provide for the administra- 

 tion of the affairs of civil government 

 in the Philippine Islands, and for other 

 purposes," approved July 1, 1902. 



" Section 87. That the Division of 

 Insular Affairs of the War Department, 

 organized by the Secretary of War, is 

 hereby continued until otherwise pro- 

 vided, and shall hereafter be known as 

 the Bureau of Insular A fairs of the War 

 Department. The business assigned to 

 said Bureau shall embrace all matters 

 pertaining to civil government in the 

 island possessions of the United States 

 subject to the jurisdiction of the War 

 Department ; and the Secretary of War 

 is hereby authorized to detail an officer 

 of the Arm}' whom he may consider es- 

 pecially well qualified, to act under the 

 authority of the Secretary of War as the 

 Chief of said Bureau ; and said officer 



