been taken and could not be taken for some time. The military governor formulated a plan for a representative provisional government which was published in General Orders, No. 30, series 1899, and directed to be put in operation. In this order it was provided that a civil government and council should be chosen by the people. General Smith was chosen by the then military governor of the archipelagoGeneral Otis-to carry out the provisions of the order. The choice proved to be an exceptionally happy one, and General Smith's work has given very general satisfaction. After receiving the order he had a careful registration made of those entitled to the right of the franchise under the conditions specified. This registration showed that there were between five and six thousand voters.

The poll lists were made out and an election was duly held on the 2d day of October for a civil governor and an advisory council. The election went off quietly, and although the count developed the fact that the popular vote had given them a surprise, still there was no trouble whatever, and on the 6th of November the governor and council were inducted into their offices. In December the agents of the insurrectionary party in the archipelago undertook the organization and development of a revolution in Negros. The ruthless handling they received in a few collisions with the Sixth Infantry satisfied them that somebody had blundered and they gave up the effort. Since that time Negros has been at peace and all the island industries have been pursued with confidence in their present safety and future prosperity. In Panay all the important towns on the coast are occupied by our troops, and the two great rice-producing valleys, Iloilo and Panay, are fairly protected. The 30 companies on the island occupy as many towns. There are about 1,200 riffes still in the hands of organizations operating against us. A small per cent of them are organized bands of robbers, but there are possibly 1,000 rifles still in the possession of organized insurgents. In Antique, Fullon has 300, which he has kept fairly well in hand. In Capiz there are two commands, one directly under Diocno, which has been held in the mountainous district to the west of Capiz, and another in the mountains southwest, under Estebon Cuartero. The two together claim to be able to unite 500 rifles. In Iloilo, Delgado, Quintin Sallas, and Joaquin de la Pena hold commands. It is estimated that in the attack on Dumangas they united between four and five hundred rifles. Under such conditions our Panay garrisons have to be kept strong enough to stand off any one of these commands as a unit until assistance can reach them. Some additional rifles found their way into the island in June through the north coast. They are reported to have been brought from Luzon by one Solis, who came down to reconcile differences between Diocno and Cuartero.

These commands live in small barrios in detachments, and go about in the usual Sinimay dress, and as the people of the island are a unit against us, no case of betrayal has yet occurred. On the question at issue no Judas has been found in the million of people.

In Cebu the island seems to be fairly covered by our troops, but there are a few wandering insurgents in the hills, with possibly 100 rifles. They go about in small detachments and disturb the peace very greatly. The troops find much difficulty in meeting with them, but the number of these malechores is being gradually diminished.

Maj. H. C. Hale, Forty-fourth Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, commanding Bohol, reports his people tranquil and following their daily pursuits.

In Leyte there are but few rifles in the hands of the insurgents and those who have them do not know how to use them. They have always carried the bolo and if they succeed in getting inside of a soldier's guard they are apt to do some execution. Fortunately they have seldom succeeded in accomplishing much, and are becoming conscious of their inability to cope with our weapons, and a better state of things is gradually growing. Colonel Murray, Forty-third Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, has the island girdled with troops, occupying the larger towns, and is connecting the two coasts by trails, and all seems to point to a speedy subduing of the recalcitrant people on that island.

The internal disturbances have greatly demoralized the industries of these islands. Under normal conditions, Panay and Cebu should grow enough to carry their population through the year. Panay is a great rice-growing island and crops are regular and the yield excellent. In Cebu a great deal of corn is grown, for which the country is adapted. Negros is a sugar-growing island and, owing to the greater profit in that article, the growth of food-stuffs for home consumption has been greatly neglected. No deficiency is reported from Bohol. Their deficiency in corn has usually been supplied from Cebu, but as very little planting has been done in Cebu, it may ultimately appear that Bohol is short. Leyte is a hemp-producing island, and foodstuffs have always been supplied to help out the short supply of rice of home production.

Complaints of want have come in from Leyte, Cebu, and Negros. Efforts have been and are being made to supply work on public works, highways, etc., to enable the poor to supply their necessities by purchase of rice being imported from China, but whether these efforts will be sufficient to meet the case is still uncertain. The great trouble lies in the fact that the suffering falls on the innocent. The insurrecto, bandit, or fanatic goes about with a rifle and levies on the poor villager for what he wishes, and it has to be given. The time has about come when the floating population of these islands should be given occupation. They are, as a whole, weary of their disturbed condition, but some measures should be taken to provide occupation for the men who have been idle for a long time. Each island has its own needs, and it is only a question of what should be taken up. In Negros, Bohol, Cebu, and Leyte, roads and port facilities are greatly needed. In Panay a lightly equipped railway running from the vicinity of Iloilo to Capiz would be of great value to the rice and tobacco growers. There would be no difficulty in overcoming the obstacles in the pass of the mountains, and there would not necessarily be any exceptional gradients. The volume and fall of the waters of the Jalaur and Panay would supply all the motive power such a road would require.

Some enterprising man might find employment for many men by bringing water into Iloilo and its suburbs of Jaro and Molo. I think an abundant supply could be gotten from the river Aganan, where it leaves the mountains near Alimodian. I had the volume of this stream measured by an expert during the height of the dry season, and it was then running off between one and two millions of gallons per day. The level was run from mean low water on the strait to Alimodian, and the

difference in elevation was reported as 164 feet, which would be ample for conduction by gravity. An effort was made to consolidate Iloilo, Jaro, Molo, and Manduriao into one municipality, which it was supposed would enable them to manage a water supply and an electric light system of themselves, but it was found that there would be dissatisfaction with such a measure in one of the suburbs, and the matter went no further.

The great majority of the towns have their schools in working order, but books are difficult to get, and good teachers are a rarity. By patience and persistence the little people will be qualified for the franchise by the time they have acquired the necessary age.

Thus far we have been able to open but two civil courts, one in Cebu and one for Iloilo, province of Panay. We hope to be able to find competent judges for the other districts of the department in the near future, but the trouble has been in finding competent lawyers who were willing to accept the position. Respectfully submitted.

R. P. HUGHES, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

ANNUAL REPORT OF BRIG. GEN. W. A. KOBBÉ, U. S. V., COMMANDING DEPARTMENT OF MINDANAO AND JOLO.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF MINDANAO AND JOLO,

ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Zamboanga, P. I., September 10, 1900.

Division of the Philippines, Manila, P. I.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of military operations in the department of Mindanao and Jolo for the period ending July 31, 1900:

The Department of Mindanao and Jolo, excluding a number of unimportant islands, consists of the island of Mindanao, the Jolo Archipelago, and the island of Paragua, the last of which has never been occupied by United States troops.

The Jolo Archipelago was occupied in May, 1899, by the Twentythird Infantry, and these were the first troops to take station in any part of what is now the department.

About the same time the port of Zamboanga in southern Mindanao was blockaded, and on November 16, 1899, the place was occupied by a naval force under Commander Samuel V. Very, U. S. N., on invitation of a party hostile to the insurrection, and this led to the permanent occupation, three companies of the Twenty-third Infantry from Jolo being sent for to hold the place temporarily and to establish order.

On October 30, 1899, the islands now constituting the department were announced as the military district of Mindanao and Jolo, under command of Brig. Gen. John C. Bates, U. S. V.

In November and December, 1899, the Thirty-first Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, was ordered to Mindanao and occupied places on the southern and eastern coast (relieving the companies of the Twentythird Infantry at Zamboanga), as follows:

All of these places were occupied without resistance, and as a rule the troops met with friendly reception from Moros and Filipinos alike.

General Bates's time had been much occupied with negotiating the treaty with the Sultan of Jolo, and later by the demand for his presence in field operations elsewhere, but in March, 1900, he proceeded with the Fortieth Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, from southern Luzon, and occupied, also without opposition, the places on northern coast of Mindanao, as follows:

The organization and occupation of the district, with headquarters at Zamboanga, was hereby completed.

On March 20, 1900, General Bates was relieved from further duty in the district, and the undersigned, by the same order, while still engaged in establishing the ports that had been opened in the hemp districts of the archipelago, was assigned to this command.

On April 7, 1900, the district was made the Department of Mindanao and Jolo, the order taking effect April 24, 1900, and the undersigned, having arrived at Zamboanga on April 14, 1900, assumed command.

The department is divided into four districts, the first and second including the whole of Mindanao, the third the Jolo Archipelago, and the fourth the unoccupied island of Paragua. Subdistricts for Mindanao have since been established which will receive mention hereafter, and in the Jolo Archipelago the commanding officers at Siassi and Bongao are exofficio subdistrict commanders for the Siassi and Tawi Tawi groups of islands, respectively.

The military operations in the department may be sharply differentiated as follows:

First. Operations under the Bates treaty in the Jolo Archipelago. Second. Operations on the north coast of Mindanao against hostile insurgents.

Third. Operations on the south and east coast of Mindanao to reestablish good order and government, to regulate the intercourse between Filipinos and Moros, and to secure and maintain the confidence of the alien races inhabiting this section.

THE JOLO ARCHIPELAGO.

The situation in the Jolo Archipelago is dominated by the treaty or agreement made by Brig. Gen., now Maj. Gen., John C. Bates, U. S. V., with the Sultan of Jolo, August, 1899. This treaty was no doubt. imposed by international obligations, has received the approval of the highest authority, and is therefore beyond discussion in a military report. Its effects, however, appear to be far-reaching.

The salient article of the treaty is article 3, which states that "the rights and dignities of his highness, the sultan and his datos, shall be fully respected," but his rights are not defined and are not limited.