Pax Americana

Five fortresses taken by storm; the defenders captured, fleeing or slain at their posts; the victors, such of them as still could fight, harrying the retreating army through the wilderness--such was the report received by the War Department from its proconsul, General Wood, at Manila.

It was the old story of primitive disagreements. The Moros of the south--tall, fearless, ignorant, stanch in their faith that there is but one God, Allah, and that Mohammed is his prophet--despise the little "paternoster-saying natives [of the northern islands] who genuflect to this saint's fingernail and that saint's shinbone." As it happens, although the Moros generally get along amicably with General Wood and the whites, they are forever getting into trouble with the constabulary and lesser officials, who are nearly all Christian natives. The big Moslems and the little Christians are always stepping each on the other's toes, then sticking a knife each in the other's ribs. Periodically the constabulary has to be sent to mop up.

A mopping up took place a year ago, another minor one last winter. Last week 200 of the constabulary under two white officers undertook the destruction of the Moro strongholds in the hills of Mindanao. There were three days of continuous fighting and five forts fell. Of the Moros 50 were killed; of the constabulary five were killed and 17 wounded.