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National Geographic : 1905 Dec
Contents
BOOKS ON THE author crossed the Pacific, and several trips made about the Archipelago. The characteristics of the people, their in dustries, institutions, health, etc., are touched upon. Naturally, much space is devoted to matters of religion, and the Protestant missionary work receives great attention. The author is opti mistic, and has written a very readable book. Quite different is the character of Dr Atkinson's book from that of Dr Devins. Dr Atkinson was the first superintendent of schools of the Archipelago under the American civil government, and the present admirable school system is mainly his work. He was in the Archi pelago nearly two and a half years; his work took him everywhere and among all classes of people, so that he has writ ten from a full knowledge of his sub ject, with authority and generally with accuracy. His introduction is a most admirable summary of the character of the people and the necessities of the situation-the several chapters treat of topography, history, climate, health, industries, and commerce, thecityof Manila, the people, their superstitions and religion, govern ment and education. He is not clear or definite in his account of temperature at Manila (pp. 125 and 126), so that the reader may easily be confused. On pages 174 and 175 he contrasts the yield of sugar in the Philippines with that in Hawaii as follows: "A (Hawaiian) planter usually obtains 75 tons of sugar to the acre, whereas in the Philippines he (the Filipino) considers half a ton a fair amount." If he would substi tute4for75,andIfor , the contrast would be correct and would still be suffi ciently startling. There are numerous other slight errors scattered through the book which leads one to regret that the author had not awaited the appear ance of the Census report and thus h we avoided the slight blemishes on what is otherwise a most valuable work. PHILIPPINES 573 Mr Willis' book is of a still different class. The author, a professor in Wash ington and Lee University, devoted sev eral months of 1904 to a study of the conditionsof the Philippines. The book, like many others, is a discussion of the government and the political, social, and economic conditions of the islands. It is not easy to take the writer seri ously. He says we are in the Philip pines to exploit them; that the people are antagonistic to us; that the exist ence of ladronism shows that the insur rection is still going on ; that the press is muzzled and that speakers are not allowed to speak; that the natives pre fer chuch schools to public schools; that the teaching of English is a mistake and that the teaching should be in the Malay tongues; that the Philippine civil service is a farce ; that the native con stabulary is rotten, and that the Philip pine Commission favors the regular Catholics rather than the Aglipayans. Not one of these statements, it is un necessary to say, is correct. Mr Willis was probably filled with tales of woe by some American trader who had been dis appointed in his hopes of great profits by the withdrawal of the army. There are many such in the Philippines. H. G. Michigan. By Thomas McIntyre Coo ley. With map. Pp. 410. 5 x 7 inches. Boston : Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 1905. $r.Io net. This is one of the best of the " Amer ican Commonwealth " series, published by Messrs Houghton, Mifflin & Co. The author realizes, what some histo rians are apt to forget, the important in fluence of the natural resources of a state. In his history he gives not merely a record of Michigan's governors and legislatures and their acts, but he de scribes the development of the material wealth and prosperity of the state. The census of 1900 shows Michigan ninth among the states in population, in
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