contact with foreigners, is his politeness. This is innate and not
acquired; it does not owe any of its force to selfish considerations.
The traveler in Japan is amazed to see this politeness among all
classes, just as he sees the artistic impulse flowering among the
children of rough toilers in the fields. And again the question arises:
Will the Japanese retain this attractive trait when they come into more
intimate contact with the foreigner, who believes in courtesy mainly as
a business asset rather than as a social virtue?
So, in summing up one's impressions of Japan, there comes this
inevitable doubt of the permanence of the fine qualities which make the
Japanese nation to-day so distinct from any other. The Japanese may
differ from all other races in their power of resisting the corrupting
influences of foreign association, but it is to be feared that the
visitor to the Mikado's land fifty years from now may not only find no
Mikado, but none of the peculiarly gracious qualities in the Japanese
people which to-day set them apart from all other nations.
[Illustration: PLATE I
Street Scene, Asakusa
Park, Tokyo. This Picture
Gives a Good Idea
of Japanese Street
Dress of Men and
Women. The Park
Contains a
Twelve-Story
Tower, Two
Hundred and Twenty
Feet in Height]
[Illustration: PLATE II
Entrance Hall and Stairway
of Modern Home
of a Tokyo Millionaire.
Note the Priceless
Screens With
Cherry-Blossom Decoration,
the Bronze Stair Railings
and the Inlaid Floor]
[Illustration: PLATE III
Bronze Lanterns and
Sacred Fountain, Shiba
Temple, Tokyo. These
Temples in Shiba Park
Are Among the Marvels
of Japanese
Art]
[Illustration: PLATE IV
Sacred Red Bridge at
Nikko. Legend Says It
Was Built for the Saint
Shodo Shonin. No
One Crossed It Except
the Shoguns and in
Modern Times the
Mikado. General
Grant Was Given a
Permit to Cross This
Bridge, but Sensibly
Refused to Use It]
[Illustration: PLATE V
Avenue of Cryptomeria to Futaaru Temple, Nikko.
This Picture Gives a Good Idea of the Effectiveness of the
Tori or Gate, of Black or Red Lacquer or Natural
Wood, Which Stands at the Entrance
to Most Parks and Temples]
[Illustration: PLATE VI
Avenue of Cryptomeria Trees, near Nikko.
This Splendid Avenue, Lined with Huge Cedar Trees
from One Hundred and Fifty to Two Hundred
Feet in Height, Extends for Five Miles
from Nikko to Imaichi]
[Illustration: PLATE VII
Great Bronze Torii, Nikko.
These Torii or Gates Form the Most
Characteristic Feature of Japanese Landscapes. They
Are Always of the Same Pattern But
Infinite in Variety of Decoration]
[Illustration: PLATE VIII
Stone Lanterns, Kasuga Temple Park, Nara.
A Remarkable Collection of Lanterns Which Line
the Avenue Leading to the Temple. In This
Park Many Tame Deer Wander, Their
Horns Being Cut Once a Year
in October]
[Illustration: PLATE IX
Religious Procession, Kyoto.
This Gives a Good Idea of a Familiar Sight in
all Japanese Cities. Many of the Standards Carried in
These Processions are Very Beautiful,
With Silk Streamers of
Many Colors]
[Illustration: PLATE X
Scene on Canal, Kyoto.
None of the Houses
That Line This Canal
Are Elaborate, But All
Have Balconies Adorned
With Dwarf Trees and
Plants in Pots of
Many Colors. This Is
One of the Most
Picturesque Scenes in
All Japan]
[Illustration: PLATE XI
Street Scene in Kobe.
This View Shows the
Low Two-Story Houses,
With Overhanging
Balconies, the Enormous
Gilded Signs and
the Absence of All
Horses in the Street.
This Street Scene Is
Typical of All Japanese
Cities]
[Illustration: PLATE XII
A Group of Japanese
Schoolboys. These
Faces, Full of Life and
Mischief, Are Typical
of Young Japan. About
the Only Faces in Japan
Free From Lines of
Care Are Those of
School Children. When
Over Sixteen the Face
of the Japanese Becomes
a Mask Which Conceals
All Emotions]
[Illustration: PLATE XIII
Japanese Peasant Group by the Roadside.
These Country People Show Keen Curiosity in
Regard to the Foreign Tourist but They
Are Always Courteous]
[Illustration: PLATE XIV
Scene in Large Private
Garden, Kyoto. This
Old Capital of Japan Is
Noted for Its Many
Beautiful Gardens, With
Ponds Well Stocked
With Goldfish and
Crossed by Miniature
Bridges]
[Illustration: PLATE XV
Iris Bed at Horikiri,
near Tokyo. This
Flower Resort is the
Scene of Many Pilgrimages
in June When the
Irises Are in Full
Bloom]
[Illustration: PLATE XVI
Private Garden, Kamakura.
This Gives a Good Idea of the Arrangement
of a Japanese Garden. To the Influence of the
Garden is Ascribed the Japanese Love of
the Beautiful in Nature and Art]
MANILA,
TRANSFORMED BY THE
AMERICANS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MANILA AND ITS PICTURESQUE PEOPLE
The bay of Manila is so extensive that the steamer appears to be
entering a great inland sea. The shores are low-lying and it takes about
an hour before the steamer nears the city, so that one can make out the
landmarks. To the right, as one approaches the city, is Cavite, which
Dewey took on that historic May day in 1898. The spires of many churches
are the most conspicuous landmarks in Manila, but as the distance
lessens a huge mass of concrete, the new Manila hotel, looms up near the
docks. The bay is full of ships and alongside the docks are a number of
passenger and freight steamers.
Just as we are able to make out these things, our ears catch the strains
of a fine band of music and we see two launches rapidly nearing the
ship. In one is a portion of the splendid Constabulary Band, the finest
in the Orient. In the other launch was the special committee of the
Manila Merchants' Association. The band played several stirring airs,
everybody cheered and waved handkerchiefs and for a few minutes it
looked as though an impromptu Fourth of July celebration had begun. It
is difficult to describe an American's emotions when he sees the Stars
and Stripes for the first time in five weeks. The most phlegmatic man on
the ship danced a war dance, women wept, and when the reception
committee boarded the ship and met the passengers in the dining saloon
there was great enthusiasm. Plans were arranged for crowding into the
two days' stay all the sightseeing and entertainment possible and these
plans were carried out, giving a fine proof of Manila hospitality.
Manila differs from most of the Oriental cities in the fact that
American enterprise has constructed great docks and dredged out the
harbor so that the largest steamers may anchor alongside the docks. In
Yokohama, Kobe, Hongkong and other ports ships anchor in the bay and
passengers and freight must be transferred to the shore by launches and
lighters. Reinforced concrete is now the favorite building material of
the new Manila. Not only are the piles and docks made of this material,
but all the new warehouses and business buildings as well as most of the
American and foreign residences are of concrete. It is substantial,
clean, cool and enduring, meeting every requirement of this tropical
climate. The white ant, which is so destructive to the ordinary wooden
pile, does not attack it.
The Pasig river divides Manila into two sections. On the south side of
the old walled city are the large districts of Malate, Ermito and Paco.
On the north side is the principal retail business street, the Escolta
and the other business thoroughfares lined with small shops, and six
large native districts. The Escolta is only four blocks long, very
narrow, with sidewalks barely three feet wide; yet here is done most of
the foreign retail trade. In a short time a new Escolta will be built in
the filled district, as it would cost too much to widen the old street.
As a car line runs through the Escolta, there is a bad congestion of
traffic at all times except in the early morning hours. The Bridge of
Spain is one of the impressive sights of Manila. With its massive
arches of gray stone, it looks as though it would be able to endure for
many more centuries. One of the oldest structures in the city, it was
built originally on pontoons, and it was provided with the present
arches in 1630. Only one earthquake, that of 1863, damaged it. Then two
of the middle arches gave way, and these were not restored for twelve
years. The roadway is wide, but it is crowded all day with as
picturesque a procession as may be seen in any part of the world. The
carromata, a light, two-wheeled cart, with hooded cover, pulled by a
native pony, is the favorite conveyance of the foreigners and the better
class of the Filipinos. The driver sits in front, while two may ride
very comfortably on the back seat. It is a great improvement on the
Japanese jinrikisha because one may compare impressions with a
companion. The country cart is built something like the carromata and
will accommodate four people. Hundreds of these carts come into Manila
every day with small stocks of vegetables and fruit for sale at the
markets. A few victorias may be seen on the bridge, but what causes most
of the congestion is the carabao cart, hauling the heavy freight. The
carabao (pronounced carabough, with the accent on the last syllable), is
the water buffalo of the Philippines, a slow, ungainly beast of burden
that proves patient and tractable so long as he can enjoy a daily swim.
If cut off from water the beast becomes irritable, soon gets "loco" and
is then dangerous, as it will attack men or animals and gore them with
its sharp horns. The carabao has little hair and its nose bears a strong
resemblance to that of the hippopotamus. Its harness consists of a
neckyoke of wood fastened to the thills of the two-wheeled cart. On this
cart is frequently piled two tons, which the carabao pulls easily.
Another bridge which has historic interest for the American is the San
Juan bridge. It is reached by the Santa Mesa car line. Here at either
end were encamped the American and Filipino armed forces, and the
insurrection was started by a shot at night from the native trenches.
The bridge was the scene of fierce fighting, which proved disastrous to
the Filipinos.
Aside from the bridges and the life along the Pasig river, the most
interesting part of Manila lies within the old walled city. This section
is known locally as "IntraMuros." It is still surrounded by the massive
stone wall, which was begun in 1591 but not actually completed until
1872. The wall was built to protect the city from free-booters, as
Manila, like old Panama, offered a tempting prize to pirates. Into the
wall was built old Fort Santiago, which still stands. The wall varies in
thickness from three to forty feet, and in it were built many chambers
used as places of confinement and torture. Until six years ago a wide
moat surrounded the wall, but the stagnant water bred disease and the
moat was filled with the silt dredged up from the bay. Fort Santiago
forms the northwest corner of the wall. Its predecessor was a palisade
of bags, built in 1571, behind which the Spaniards defended themselves
against the warlike native chiefs. In 1590 the stone fort was begun.
Within it was the court of the military government. Seven gates were
used as entrances to the walled city in old Spanish days, the most
picturesque being the Real gate, bearing the date of 1780, and the Santa
Lucia gate, with the inscription of 1781. These gates were closed every
night, and some of the massive machinery used for this purpose may be
seen lying near by--a reminder of those good old days when the belated
traveler camped outside.
In the old walled city are some of the famous churches of Manila. The
oldest is San Augustin, first dedicated in 1571. The present structure
was built two years later, the first having been completely destroyed by
fire. The enormously thick walls were laid so well that they have
withstood the severe earthquakes which proved so destructive to many
other churches. In this church are buried Legaspi and Salcedo, the
explorers, who spread Spanish dominion over the Philippines.
The Church of St. Ignatius is famous for the beautifully carved woodwork
of the pulpit and the interior decorations; that of Santo Domingo is
celebrated for its finely carved doors. The greatest shrine in the
Phillippines is the Cathedral, which fronts on Plaza McKinley. This is
the fifth building erected on the same site, fire having destroyed the
other four. The architecture is Byzantine, and the interior gives a
wonderful impression of grace and spaciousness. Some of the old doors
and iron grill-work of the ancient cathedrals have been retained.
AMERICAN WORK IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
It will surprise any American visitor to the Philippine Islands to find
how much has been accomplished since 1898 to make life better worth
living for the Filipino as well as for the European or the American.
Civil government through the Philippine Commission has been in active
operation for ten years. During this decade what Americans have achieved
in solving difficult problems of colonial government is matter for
national pride. The American method in the Philippines looks to giving
the native the largest measure of self-government of which he is
capable. It has not satisfied the Filipino, because he imagines that he
is all ready for self-government, but it has done much to lift him out
of the dead level of peonage in which the Spaniard kept him and to open
the doors of opportunity to young Filipinos with ability and energy. I
talked with many men in various professions and in many kinds of
business and all agreed that the American system worked wonders in
advancing the natives of real ability.
Rev. Dr. George W. Wright of Manila, who has charge of a large
Presbyterian seminary for training young Filipinos for the ministry, and
who has had much experience in teaching, said: "In the old days only the
sons of the illustrados, or prominent men of the noble class, had any
chance to secure an education and this education was given in the
Catholic private schools. With the advent of the Americans any boy
possessing the faculty of learning quickly may get a good education,
provided he will work for it. I know of one case of a boy who did not
even know who his parents were. He gained a living by blacking shoes and
selling papers. He came to me for aid in entering a night school. He
learned more rapidly than anyone I ever knew. Soon he came to me and
wanted a job that would occupy him half a day so that he could go to
school the other half of the day. I got him the job and in a few months
he was not only perfecting himself in English, but reading law. Nothing
can keep this boy down; in a few years he will be a leader among his
people. Under the old Spanish system he never would have been permitted
to rise from the low caste in which fortune first placed him."
[Illustration:
Imperial Gate, Fort Santiago, Manila.
This is the Main Entrance to the Old Fort,
Built Into the Massive Wall. This Wall
Was for Spanish Defense Against
Warlike Native Chiefs]
More than a thousand American teachers are scattered over the Philippine
Islands, and for ten years these men and women have been training the
young of both sexes. Some have proved incompetent, a few have set a very
bad example, but the great majority have done work of which any nation
might be proud. They have not only been teachers of the young, but they
have been counselors and friends of the parents of their pupils.
The work done in a material way in the Philippines is even more
remarkable. Of the first importance is the offer of a homestead to every
citizen from the public lands. So much was paid for the friar lands that
these are far beyond the reach of anyone of ordinary means, but the
government has large reserves of public land, which only need
cultivation to make them valuable. Sanitary conditions have been
enormously improved both in Manila and throughout the islands. In the
old days Manila was notorious for many deaths from cholera, bubonic
plague and smallpox. No sanitary regulations were enforced and the
absence of any provisions for sewage led to fearful pestilences. Now not
only has Manila an admirable sewerage system, but the people have been
taught to observe sanitary regulations, with the result that in the
suburbs of such a city as Manila the homes of common people reveal much
better conditions than the homes of similar classes in Japan. The sewage
of Manila is pumped three times into large sumps before it is finally
dumped into the bay a mile from the city.
The island military police, known as the Constabulary Guard, has done
more to improve conditions throughout the islands than any other agency.
The higher officers are drawn from the United States regular army, but
the captains and lieutenants are from civil life, and they are mainly
made up of young college graduates. These men get their positions
through the civil service and, though some fail to make good, the great
majority succeed. Their positions demand unusual ability, for they not
only have charge of companies of native police that resemble the Mexican
rurales or the Canadian mounted police, but they serve as counselor and
friend to all the Filipinos in their district. In this way their
influence is frequently greater than that of the school teachers.
All this work and much more has been accomplished by the insular
government without calling upon the United States for any material help.
It does not seem to be generally known that the Philippine Islands are
now self-supporting, and that the only expense entailed on the general
government is a slight increase for maintaining regiments assigned to
the island service and the cost of Corregidor fortifications and other
harbor defenses. This has been accomplished without excessive taxation.
Personal property is exempt, while the rate on real estate in Manila is
only one and one-half per cent. on the assessed valuation, and only
seven-eights of one per cent. in the provinces. The fiscal system has
been put on a gold basis, thus removing the old fluctuating silver
currency which was a great hardship to trade.
SCENES IN THE CITY OF MANILA AND SUBURBS
Every visitor to Manila in the old days exhausted his vocabulary in
praise of the Luneta, the old Spanish city's pleasure ground, which
overlooked the bay and Corregidor Island. It was an oval drive, with a
bandstand at each end, inclosing a pretty grass plot. Here, as evening
came on, all Manila congregated to hear the band play and to meet
friends. The Manilan does not walk, so the broad drive was filled with
several rows of carriages passing slowly around the oval. To-day the
Luneta remains as it was in the old Spanish days, but its chief charm,
the seaward view, is gone. This is due to the filling in of the harbor
front, which has left the Luneta a quarter of a mile from the
water-front. However, a new Luneta has been made below the old one, and
the broad avenues opened up near by give far more space for carriages
than before. Every evening except Monday the Constabulary Band plays on
the Luneta, and the scene is almost as brilliant as in the old days, as
the American Government officials make it a point to turn out in
uniform. Nothing can be imagined more perfect than the evenings in
Manila after the heat of the day. The air is deliciously soft and a
gentle breeze from the ocean tempers the heat.
The best way to see the native life of Manila is to take a street-car
ride through the Tondo and Caloocan districts, or a launch ride up the
Pasig river. On the cars one passes through the heart of the business
district, the great Tondo market, filled with supplies from the
surrounding country as well as many small articles of native or foreign
manufacture. This car line also passes the Maypajo, the largest cockpit
in the world, where at regular intervals the best fighting cocks are
pitted against each other and the betting is as spirited as on American
race tracks in the old days. On the return trip by these cars one passes
by the San Juan bridge, which marked the opening of the insurrection;
the old Malacanan Palace, now the residence of Governor-General Forbes,
and the Paco Cemetery, where several thousand bodies are buried in the
great circular wall which surrounds the church. These niches in the wall
are rented for a certain yearly sum, and in the old Spanish days, when
this rental was not promptly paid by relatives, the corpse was removed
and thrown with others into a great pit. Recently this ghastly practice
has been frowned on by the authorities.
The average Manila resident does not pay more than fifty dollars in our
money for his nipa house. The framework is of bamboo, bound together by
rattan; the roof timbers are of bamboo, while the sides of the house and
the thatch are made from the nipa tree. The sides look like mats. The
windows are of translucent shell, while the door is of nipa or wood.
These houses are usually about fifteen feet square, with one large room,
and are raised about six feet from the ground. Under the house is kept
the live stock. When the family has a horse or cow or carabao the house
is ten feet from the ground, and these animals are stabled underneath.
In nearly every house or yard may be found a game cock tied by the leg
to prevent him from roaming and fighting.
In most of the houses that the cars passed in the big native quarter of
Tondo, furniture was scanty. Usually the family has a large dresser,
which is ornamented with cheap pictures, and the walls are frequently
covered with prints in colors. There is no furniture, as the Filipino's
favorite position is to squat on his haunches. In many of the poorest
houses, however, were gramophones, which are paid for in monthly
installments of a dollar or two. The Filipinos are very fond of music,
and the cheap gramophones appeal to them strongly. Nearly every Filipino
plays some instrument by ear, and many boys from the country are expert
players on the guitar or mandolin. On large plantations the hands are
fond of forming bands and orchestras, and often their playing would do
credit to professional musicians. The Constabulary Band, recognized as
the finest in the Orient, has been drilled by an American negro named
Loring.
In the Santa Mesa district are the houses of wealthy Filipinos. These
are usually of two stories, with the upper story projecting far over the
lower, and with many ornamental dormer windows, with casement sashes of
small pieces of translucent shell. In Manila the window is provided to
keep out the midday heat and glare of the sun. At other times the
windows are slid into the walls, and thus nearly the whole side of the
house is open to the cool night air. Many of these houses are finished
in the finest hardwoods, and not a few have polished mahogany floors.
Bamboo and rattan furniture may be seen in some of these houses, while
in others are dressers and wardrobes in the rich native woods. These
houses are embowered in trees, among which the magnolia, acacia and palm
are the favorites, with banana and pomelo trees heavy with fruit.
[Illustration: PLATE XVII
A Glimpse of the Escolta,
Manila. The Escolta,
Only Four Blocks
In Length, Is the Business
Street in Manila.
Clarke's, the Restaurant
and Tea-House in the
Foreground, Is the
Favorite American
Headquarters in
Manila]
[Illustration: PLATE XVIII
Old Church and Bridge
at Pasig. Built of
Massive Stone and
Overgrown With Moss,
This Bridge and
Church Seems Older
Than the Ancient Wall
of Manila]
[Illustration: PLATE XIX
The Binondo Canal, Which Intersects a
Crowded District of Manila. The Picture Gives
a Good Idea of the Cascoes or Native
Cargo Boats]
[Illustration: PLATE XX
On the Malecon Drive, Manila.
One of the Picturesque Roads, Lined
With Feathery Palms, That
Lead to the Luneta]
[Illustration: PLATE XXI
View on a Manila Canal.
This Gives a Good Idea of the Native Nipa
Huts Along the Banks of the Canal,
and a Bamboo Foot-bridge]
[Illustration: PLATE XXII
A Filipino Peasant Girl on the
Way to Market. She Wears the Native Costume
With the Enormous Bamboo Hat.
The Water Jar is Like the
Spanish-American Olla]
[Illustration: PLATE XXIII
The Carabao Cart in the Philippines.
The Carabao or Water Buffalo is the Filipinos' Chief
Beast of Burden. The Cart is Crude and Heavy,
With a Home-made Yoke. The Buffalo
is also Used for Ploughing and
Other Farm Work]
[Illustration: PLATE XXIV