The Guam Recorder, March 1928

286

THE GUAM RECORDER

MARCH 1928

ANOTHER ACCOUhlT OF GUAM FRo.M STANFORD's Co~IPEi'iDIU:Il oF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL VoL.

Dy F. H. H.

~u iJ.l t::mard,

II.

M.A., M. D., Cantab-1894.

THE LADRONE OR MARIANNE ISLANDS The L~clron es lie in a single regular chain extending N. and S. for a, distaiJce of 500 m il es; not in an a.b.:wlutely straight line, but in a sl ight but even curve, with its concavity westward, tbus forming as it were a segment of a vast. circle.

They are, for the most pai't, small and steep volcanic islets, some of which have active craters.

The more southern islands are larg e r, extrernrly fertile, and well watereel. The chain consists of seventeen islnnch:, ·which lie between 13 degrees and 21 degrees N. latitude, and h:t ve a total area of 450 sqnt\l'f miles.

They are a p ossession of Spain, (1894) (Editor's Note:Guam · was acquired by t h e Uni ted Stat.es by right of conquest during the War with Spain 1898) The Governor , who is dependent on the Captn.in-Gencral of the Philippin es, residiDg in G uam.

Th e total population is a little over 10 ,000 , (the popu.lnt.ion June, 1927 was 15.9L14 N :Ltive, 410 Foreign, population , 664, fore ign born residents tntal 17.018 .

The Ladrones were di;:,covercd by 1v1agellan in 1521, and were thus named by him from the thievish propensities of the inhabitants. In 1528 Saavendra took nominal possession of them, a s did L egaspi la ter, in 1565, bnt no sdtlements wel'e made.

In 1668 the Jes uit, Lnis d~ San Vitores, established his mission in Guam.

Th e i ~h ncl becanw the port of call for the great Spanish gall('OI1R which \vent yearly betw<~en Mnnila ar:d Ae;lpulco, and it wa.f:' in it s neighbourhood that, Anson waiU' d in 1743 in the Cmturion for his famous prize t.he N. S. de Cavadonga, which he eventually captured off Samar, her value being estimated at hnlf a million sterling.

The Spanish rule of the islands W[LS chn.racteriRed bv h1.rshness n.nd oppression, [tnd a rlesultory \·v ar ; f extermination was carriE'd on for many years. When first known t he islands harl a population of at least 50,000.

At the present day (189·1 ) not one of the ori~inal r ace surv iv e~. and the islanrls an~ peopl(•d chiefly by Tag al:~ :mel Bisayans from the PhilippinP ~ , with a few Caroline I sla.nd<'rs, and numerous halfbreeds,but also by the mixed descendants of nati ves of South American tribe~.

The origin:1l Chamnrros were in many ways a fine rrtce . An ancient feudalism exist!'d, the peoJJle b r- ing divicled in to nobl es, priests, n.nrl p1 eb £~'i:tn~, the rel igion was a sort of anc<>stor-worsbip.

They have-deft behind them Rome rnrmorials of a civilhatinn which wns cert.a!nly high e r than that exi:-:;t ing among thA natives at the present day. These structures, which are more numet·ou s in Tinian than e lsew here, are ver~' remark ab le, and their. 8ervice hn.s n eve r been sati~fact.orily explained. Tbey consist of two ntnges of massivr stone columns, sq un.re in shape, 14 or more feet high, and about 6 fe et in diam eter.

Enormous blocks of ~done, in the sha pe of semi-globes, form the capitals.

It has been

suggested by Freycinet and others that they were the supports for the roofs of large buildings, and the theory i5 not unrc asonnble, but accord i11g to old Spn.ni~h acco unts cinerary urns were di::-:cove red in the cap ita ls of some of the columns. vVhutever they may have been, they a r e undoubt edly of great antiquity, for the Span in rds regarded the rn as such on their first arr ival four cent uri es ago.

The L~drones are favored by a good and equable clirnn.te, but are occasionally visited by severe ea r1hqtwk<'s and typhoons.

The rai11y sen~on occurs in rnidsnm mer \V i th the S. W. winds, but rain falls at interv als throughout the year, and drot1gbts a re rnre. Th e t h ermomcter variou s between 70 degrees and 80 degrees Fahr.

Th e couutry near Agnna in Gun.m is said t.o afford views that cannot be excelled for benuty, and the vegetatio n is exube rant. !v1aize, tobacco. s.nd sugar an~ the chief crops, but cotton, coffer, rice, cocoa, and Manila hemp are also grown, and the coco-rn!m iH n bund rm t. There is, howe ver, no exportation, for the is lands lie far from ordinary trnde rout es and :ne nn-ely vi sited . Little is k nown eithrr of the fnuna or flora. (Editors Note:-Deer ar<> numerous, especially on S::tipan, a nd cattle, hogs, a nd fowls h nve rnn wild on Tiuin.n for more than a century. No snnkes are known. but r ats , probably of ln.t.e introrluction, are numerous, and there is a peculiar spc cirs of P!n·opus.)

The ch:tin begins in the north with Farallon de P a jaros, an active volcano about 1000 feet in heigh t, and is s u cceede d by the three rocky isl ets known as UrracnR. A~sumption~ a very stril.;ing volcano penk' ri s ing s har ply from the water to the hei ght. of 2848 fed, is pn.rt.in. lly active. Agrigan, about seven mi]('s iu l en~t. b , and exceed ingl y rugged and mountainous: is the first inhabited island . Pagan if:' said to have no less than three active cones, but it is nevertheless peopled by a few natives, who have large coconut plantations.

Five i ~:l a nds follow, Al a magan, Gnguan, Sarignan. Annt.axHn, and FaraJlon de Medinilla, all of which are uninhabited.

The isl ands furth e r south t),re large r ::~.nd more fertile . Sa.ipan is ncarl~r U5 miles in l(·' ngt.h, and has a population of about 1000 persons. (Editors Note:-SaipHn is n ew under the Japanese Mandate and is c-~xten s iv0ly pla.nter1 in sug a r c::1ne, there wns exportf'cl from this isl::~nrl last year 1,575 tons of r efin ed sug[lr .)

Accordin~ to M. rv1arrhe, who explorrcl it. a fe w yenrs ago, it has no sign of volcanic ::tction . Tini a. n, the next iRland, was at. one time the most popul ous of the group, and is said to have harl30,000 inhabi ta nts; hnt \vhen An8on visited it in 1742 to recuperate his scnrvy-strickr>n crPw, be fonnd it utterly rle~~rted.

It. is no'~' inhahit.erl hv n.bout 300 natives. (Editors Not.e:-This island is. also under the J apa nese :rviancla te and like the other islands of the group except-

287

THE GUAM RECORDER

MARCH 1928

ing Guam, is being populated by immigrants from .J c.1pan, and will nodoubt soon become of im porta nee in the export trad e ), and tServes, like lYlolokui in t.he Sandwich I slaw:is,as a place of se gregu.tion for lepers.

Aguijan Islaud is of no importance, and Rota, though considerably larger, has only about 500 inhabitants.

Guam, the last island in the chnin, is the most p:.>pulous and important, and is the scat of the Spani~h settlement. It is 32 miles in length, and is bordered by reefs in the southern portion.

It. has a population of 9000, two-thirds of whom are resident in the capital, Ag:J.na, and almost all the rest upon the seaboard (E ·litors Note-the p opul a tion to date, .January 1928, is 17,770) the country inland being almost uninhabited.

The Spanish residents are hardly more than 20 in number.

A small force of two hundred Manila soldiery are quartered here, and the militia comprises nearly all the native population, and is commanded by native offi ce rs.

Agana is also a convict settlement, the prisoners u sually numbering about one hundred.

The town is beautifully clean, and possesses a hospital, j!OOd Government offices, a church, and ~chool~. In 1888 there was 18 schools on the island. l\lla.ny of the natives spe:-tk a little English, and it is s:.tid t.hat. 90 p er cent can read and write. (Editor's NoteSafford mentions in his di~ry of 1900, the ln.rge number who could not sign their names, and quotes Don Juan de Tones a~ saying that, moRt of the G •.) Vernors (Sp :1 nish) cli 8co uragerl education among the natives and that, about 1850. there w:=~~ only one gramme1· on the hla.nd.) Therr is a postal communi cation with the L3.drones only four times in the year, and they hr1y b0 regarded as one of the most inacc{!ssible anrlleast-vi:;ited partR of the globe, but the occasional calling of t.he Spanish men-of-wnr br·ings them now somewhn.t more frequently in touch with thP. outsid8 world thnn was formPr)v the case.

According to the soundings of the Challen~er expedition, one of the deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean (44:75 fat.homs) oceur:-1 to t.hc south-south-wrst of the L :u-J.roncs.

East of t.his chain and that of the Bonin hln.nds the great. depths are quiekly rca.clwd, and a tro11gh of t.his deep water, avernging over 3000 fathoms, continnes hence nearly to Japan.

DISCOVERY DAY The celebration _of Discovery Day by the school children of Gnam took place for the third time on March 6th. Gay crowds of children, their teachers, parents and others took advantage of this school holiday and the opportunity of a free boat ride, to visit the coast villag-e of Umatac, and to gather about the recently erected monuruet"! t commemorating the discovery of Guam by Fernando de Magellan in 1521.

Mag-ellan Day, or Discovery Day, was first celebrated and the Map-ellan monument was unveiled March 6th, 1926. The fact that Guam had no hero to commemorate, no celebrated person of their own race either warrior or statesman, and believing that all peoples should have some one to remember at stated times each year, Magellan was decided t1pon, and the monument was erected to his memory, and

this day March 6th. set aside each year for exercises by the school children at the place where it is believed he landed his fi g hting men, killed a number of the ab c>rigines and burned their village.

Just why February 1st. was not decided upon for a day of celebration and rejoicing among the school children and others, is not clear, as it was upon this d ay 1899, that Rear Admiral (retired) Edward D. Taussig, United States Navy, commanding the U.S. S. Bennington, took form:d possession of the Island in the name of the United States and hoisted the American flag over the Palace at Agana.

Magellan, discovered 1:he Island and this is all that he can be cr~dited with.

He was abundantly rewarded by receiving fresh water and proYisions of which he was sadly in need, and then after murdering his benefactors ai1d burning their village, and giving them the name of robbers and thieves, he sailed away, to be later followed by others of his countrymen who in the name of religion completed the task of extermination of the original inhabitants.

Discovery Day. or Magellan Day, does not s,eem to be a date that the Chamorro people should care to commemorate with pleasure a tid rejoicing. The day that the American flag was hoi sted over their Island however, is a day that they should reverence and honor and rejoice in.

With the echo of the ho~ti1e shots fired by the United States Cruiser' 'Charleston'' on April 20th, 1898, there was born to the people of Gtulm a new ,:wverument and a nE:w form of life, and a few months later (February 1, 1899) when the American flag was hoisted over their Island they were assured of protection by the whole United States and all the rights and priveleges of that protection.

Flag Raising Day, and not Discovery or 1\lag-ell:;mDay shonld be commemorated and celebrated by the school children and all inhabitants of Guam.

THE GUAM RECORDER Published Monthly at Agan~, Guam.

For Pro1:,:rress, Education and D evelopment in this Island.

W. "\V. Rowl ey Editor

AssocrATE Enr·roRs Lieu t.-Comdr. P. J. S earl es (CEC) lT. S. Navy H.G. Hornbostel S. R.Vandenberg \V. G. John ston l'. l\'el son Mrs . J. C. Heck Chaplain vV. R. Hall VI. \V. Rowley - Business Manager Subscription terms and Directions To United States anrl possessions.

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THE GUAM RECORDER, AGANA, GUAM.

288

THE GUAM RECORDER

MARCH 1928

SOC IA L EVENTS IN GUAM

By Mrs. R . L . R. Bailey

February's social s1vi rl was ushered in with the u sual monthly reception h~ld by GoYernor nnd 1\hs .

Llt:>yd 3 . Shapl ey, at Gove rum r.n t House , Thursd ay Feb ru a ry 2 .

All offi.cers and their wivt'S, a lso the American residents of the Island, enjuyec1 a m ost delightful even ing of da.n c ing. Mu ~ ie was furuished by the navy band. In addition tn cbrd~i 1 1g th er~ was bridge, and refreshments were served t hro ugh ou t the evening.

Th e Officers' Club to the fore <1g:1in!

The Sumay Recreation Hllll waf" the see n e o f a delightful (l;trjce given by the offic e rs in honor of til e otHce r R and passengers of the U. S. S . Cha.uruont on Tu rs dny February 7.

The dance was plannPd by officers of the c lu b as.-, isted by Gove rn o r ancl .Mrs . L.S. S h a pl ey.

Those who received guests included Governor and .:'tfr:>. L . S. Shapley, Lieut.-Col. a nd Mrs. Chandler C<tm phell, Li e n t. and Mrs. \V. A. Settle , Li e ut. and Mrs. C.vV. LeRoy, and Lieut. and ~Irs . J .J. Madden.

A number of small dinner parties we r e giYcn in honor of the vi s it i1.1 g officers precedi ng the dnncr .

Lieut. and Mrs . E.L .R. Bailey en tertained Governor and Mrs. L. S. Sh1pley and Lieut. and ~'Irs. P . A. Decker, ''en famille:', Friday evening, F<·brn~ny :! .

After dinner Dr. and Mrs. H. J. Leh tr;an , Li e nt. and Mrs. vV. A. Settle and Lieut . and Mrs. C. \V. LeHoy joined the dinner guests for bridge.

On Tue ~da.y, Febru:1ry 28, Lie ut. :md Mrs . Bailey were hosts for dinner, their gursts ineluding Gm·enwr L. S . Shapl0y, Li eut . and Mrs. P. A. Decke r, l\'irs. .Jn.m es C. Ta ylo r, Mrs. J. B. Cooke, and l\1r . F. C. !vie Allister.

Following d inner the gu ests pl3yed bridge at the 0 ffi ce rs' Club.

Dr. and Mrs. Cyrus C. Brown h:He as their house guest, their nir. ce , Miss Laura H. L ovillg , of Fort S<Lnl H ~. mston, Texas, who will remain i n Guam for some time.

Li eu t.-Comd r. and Mrs . G. T. Howe were h o~ts at dinner, S:tturclay, F eb ruary 4, pree rcl ing th e "Hobo Ball" given by the Cornman ding OtHcer and crew of the U. S . S. N apa .

Their guests in cl uded Governor and Mrs. L. S .

S h r1pl ey , Capt. and Mrs . Adri:1n Alfred, .Miss,..Mary Alfr ed , Comdr . and Mrs. B. R. \Vare, Chflplflin nnd .Mra. \".T. R. Hall, Lieut.. and Mrs . J. B. Cooke , and Ch. Pharm. and ~1 rs. W. E. Saxton.

Lieut. and 1\frs. B. S. H ender~o n entertained :u:: dinner guests Tnesday, F!i!brua ry 7, Governor and Mrs. L. S. Shapley, Lieut. anJ Mrs. \V. A. Sftt.l t>, Li('nt. ar,d Mrs. E. D. Graffin, Lieut. and Mrs. C. E .

Eason, and Lieut. and Mrs. J. H. Strother.

The horne of Dr . and Mrs. Cyrus C. Brown was the scene of a delightful bridge dinner Friday evening, F e bruary 2-1.

Tht> guests inclndPd Governor L. S. Shapley, Dr . and Mrs Lyle .J. Robert~ . LiPut. and Mrs. E. L. R .

Railey, Lieut. and Mrs . P. A. Decker, Dr. and .l\lrs .

R . A. Sd111eiclers a;1d I\lr. F. C. ~l cAllisler .

Chaplain and Mrs . ·wilford R. Hall lwd as th eir dinner guef:its, Fc>brum·y 22, Governor L. S. Shapl ey , Lieut . and J\Jrs . '\\' . A. Sc-'tt le, Lieut. and ,jfrs . A. L. Hamlin and Miss Workman.

Foll ow ing uiuner th ey took th e ir guests t.o the d ance given by the (Jfficers of the (.JtHtm Militia at th e ol d Service Club.

A se ries of bridge dinners was g iven at the home of Li eut . a nd 'Thlrs. vV . A. Settle, the first taking place on \V ednesdny , Feb. 29 , and the next on \Vednesday, March 7.

The gu ests of Lieut. and Mrs. Settle on the 29th. were: Gove rnor L. S . Shapley, Chaplain and Mrs. H. M. Peter son , Li e ut. and Mrs . E. L. R. Bai l ey , Lieut . and Mrs. P. A . Deckc·r, Dr. a nd Mrs. Cyrus C. Brown, :Miss Laura H. L ov ing an:l Lieut. and Mrs .

James H. Strother.

Th ose invite d for the 7th . were Governor L. S. Shapley, Dr . and Mrs. L. J. Roberts, Chapl a in and Mrs. \V . H.. Hall, Dr. and Mrs. R . C. Satterlee , 1\'Irs. J. C. T ay lor, Mrs . .T. B . Cooke, Lieut. Alfred Doucet and Chid Pay Clerk and .Mrs. Rom a ine Hathaway.

A St. Valentine's D:1y bridge luncheon wa s h el d at the h ome of l\,1rs . E. L. H.. Bai ley on Tuesday February 14th.

Mrs. Bailey's guestR includfd Mn; . P er cy A. Decker, Mrs. J. C. Taylor, Mrs. J. B. Cooke, ~Jrs . F. D. \Val1.;: er, Mrs. L. J. Roberts, Mrs. C. C. Brown, M rs. C. J. Brown, Mrs. R . C. Sat.terlee , Mrs. vV. A. Settle, Mrs. Garret B oer and Mr'3. Romaine Hathaway .

One of t.he most delightfu l events of the past m onth • wa.s th e d;mce given by the Chief Petty Officers of the S tation, U . S . S. Nnpa, and R. L. Barnefl, at the Snmay Recrfation Hall, Washington ' s Birthday Eve', February 21 .

It was indeed a holiday spi rit that prevailed and all the Officers, Chief P etty Offic ers, and enli;;;ted personnel, and th eir wives, were invited to attend and make merry .

During the evening a series of dan~es was given by little Glor ia. Weems and t.h e prese ntation of ber fina l nnmber i s ~ S p€c:i a 1ly to be commended .

The rlance mu s ic wns furni s hed by a special orchestra and refres hments were served throughout the evening .

T he affa ir was very we !I atter1ded and n. specinl vote of thank s is due the Chief Petty Oflice rs for their many efforts in making the dance so enjoy-

MARCH 1928

289

TI-IE GUA M RECORDER

It is j us t t h is sp irit. of t h e C h i e f s t h n t e n t~ L1e s t h e m to UtH.l er ta.ke so m an y s u ccess ful en te rpri ~e s .

M ay th e re b e many m o re su c cesses to foll o w.

a. b l e .

Dr. a n d Mrs. Tyl e r \V . S p e ar were h os t s a t th e ir h o m e in S u rn :ty at a br idge s upper, on T b u r sJ ny e ve nin g , F e llr ua ry 28 .

T h o::e in vi te d w e r e (; ov er no r L. S. Shap1 e> y , Li eut.Co l. a n d l\l r s . Cbnn d ler Ca mp be ll, Dr. a nd l\ l rs. L..J. lll) be r ts , D r . tlnd Mrs . F .D. W a lk er, nlrs . J .C . Tn y lor, L ieut . a nd \I rs . E . D . Gr:1fi-i1 t, L ieut . an d ~h s. \ V.A. Se tt1t~, L ie ut. an d Mrs . .J. H. Stroth er an d Dr. and lV[rs. R. A. Schneid e rs .

Fe bru a ry w as a bu s-y m o nth for the ''Junior L enguo" . Th e you n g f( •llzs :ue n ot to be daunt ed by t he n um e rous s oe ia l nct ivi t ics of th e ir par e nts all(l th ei r social c;d e n c.1 (~ r h: \S bee n quit e fill t' d thi s pa st rn o n t h. \ Ve eldy en.nl pa r t ies , pi en ics , w ee h:. end p ~Hti e f:' at 1\· f ~ ri zc ,, :11 1d nnrnc r ou s other infu1n:a l ~: Ht o -ge th e rs ', ha ve fil} ed t!J e jr pr og r nm . 'l'hose co mprising th e "Junior L eague" are the J ·i isse::: E uge ni a Brown, Bett y Tnylor, a nd 1\'J arion Pa rk er and t h e ;\ ] esst-: rs Bub Tay lor, Fran c is \\' n1ker an d ·H amilton Jos lyn.

A ve ry d e li g htful stupri ::;e birtl1day party '\'Yas tende r e d M rs . L yle J. R obe r ts at Shin ohara's, Baturclr.y e ve ni n g, F ebru a ry 25.

Th os e invit ed by Dr. L. J. H.oberts w e r e Dr. n 11 d ~1 rs . R. C. Sat. t e rl e<:: , D r , and Mrs. C. C. Brown, Dr. a nd Mrs. F. D . \Valk er, Li (-' ut. and Mrs . E. L. R. Dail e y, . Mrs . c .·J. B ro wn and Mr. F. C. McAlli s te r.

After dinn e r the gu es ts pln yed bridge at the Rob ert s hom e a n d r ef re s hm e nts wer e served throughout · the e\' e ning.

A .se ri P.s of farew e ll par t ies h ave b een plnnned for t h e eorn in g month in h o nor of Chnp1nin nnd Mrs . \V. n. H all, vv ho, very sad to ~ ny, are leaving us early in April.

O ne of thi s month ' s far ewells was t11e dnnre g-ive n by the Pu.ten t s -Tene h e rs A ssociation at Pib School, Friday e ve ning, F b rua.r y 24.

Th e dn nce was pre ce d ed by a most enterta ining and well p e rfo r me d \\1:1 s hi n gton ' s Bi rt hclay progrnm, n nd was att en d Pd by Gov ern o r L. S. S hapl ey.

The residen t s of P iti n.re to b e commend ed for the exee ll("nt turnout in honor of thi s ev ent.

This sl10uld be a fi t t ing ex Dmpl e for the other district s i n turning 0nt fo r t he " Sat urd ay S in gs " give n by t he scho ol children o q t h e Pl a za after eolors.

Dr. n nd ~frs . Lyl e J. Rob ert.s entertain ed as dinner gL1eRts T hu rsday, F e br unry 2, t.he follo" in g : Chnpbin <Lnd :\I rs. H. ~L P eterso n , Lieut. and ?lfrs. C. E. Easo n , Li eut.. ano Mrs . B. S . H e nd er :-o n, Lie ut. and 1\hs . J. H. Strother, Li e ut. n.nd Mrs. \V. A. S e ttle; l':I r _ and Mrs . \V. K ealy, l\li f:s I\Iary Heek and Cflpt.

Ha rry Paul.

After dinn e r the gues ts enjoy ed <:: evrrrd hour::: d prog r essive bridge and prizes were [HYa.rd ed 1he high an d low scorers.

L ie u t . and Mrs . James H. S tro th e r en ter tain ed a. la rge g ro up of th eir fri e nd s at thr ee b ri dge supp e rs dn riu g th e m o n t h of F e bruary at th e ir q na.rte rs in S um ny .

Th e fir st part y wns g i ve n Fe bru a ry 3 with th e f()l lo wi n ~· g ues ts pret: r nt. : Li ~: n t . -Co1. n nd Mrs . Cha n dler Cn m por]], Dr . and l\f rs. Geo rge \ V il ~ o n, Dr. :1 11 d Mrs . H . l\f n.v ee ty, .Mr. <1.1 1d :\fr::> .\V.J. K eal y , (cl m. Clk. a nd l\1rs _ J .C. Bruc ht'l{:, Id iss Klin e , Mi ss D oug h erty, Cn.p t. H . Pau l. Li e ut.

P. J. P e nn e r, \Ir. F .C. ~I c Alli ste r a nd i\1r . A. Vives.

Tho ~e in v it ed fo r th e se cofld p a rt y F eb ru a ry 6 iu c l u cl(~ d: G o ve r no r an d Mrs . L . S . Shn pl ey, Lieut. and ~Ir s . C_ E. Ea f: nn, D r. and Mrs. H . .J. L ehm<tn, · Chapl ain n n d 11drs. H ..M . P ete rf' <,n , Lient and ~Jr s .

Alfr ed Do ucet , Li e u t and ~Ir s . J C . H eck. Lieu t and :\Irs. H .R Hub ba rd a nd .\lr an d ;\Irs . C. vV. E dw a r d s.

Th e ir g n c~ t s f(l r the th ird part y in c Ju,1 ec1: Ch a phin a.ncl ~I r s \V. R I-L dJ, D r. aud l\Jrs . L . J Ro b ert s , Li ~ n t. and Mrs E . L. IL Bail ey, Li r n t. and M r s \V. A. Se ttl e , l\1rs J B. Co o ke , ~:Ti8 s l\1ary H ec k, Mi ss Kygren , Mi ss Fi elds, Mr. \Vhite nnd Mr. G . P e rry.

Mr . and Mrs . Fred \ V . Fan entnbinecl f0r a few fri e nds at a most d e light ful mo o nlight ben ch picni(', Snt.urclay ev e ning :r.Iarr.h 3rd . Swimming wa s pnrt o f th e pro g r a m for the ea rly part of th e evening, a nd dinner was th e n sern·d at th e Elk s B ench Club.

Aft e r dinn e r th e p a rty nd jCi urn ec1 t o tll e h e nc·h '"hPre mat s h a d b er n spread on the sand, and enjnyed the full be n efit of tl1 e tropi cal mo on, sea, nnd bucl<ground of b eautiful folinge.

Guam El!{s Elect Officers A g ana Lod g e No . 1281, B. P. 0. Elks , el ected office rs for the ensuin g year at the regul a r m eeting of th e Lodg e , March 7th. The follo w ing newly elected Officers \vill be in s talled and will assume their duti es at the first meeting in April. · E x alted Ruler Esteemed Leading Knight Esteemed Loyal Knight E steemed Lecturing Knight Secretary Treasu rer Tiler Tru~tee for Three Years Representative to Grand Lodge

C a rl E. Clark James H. Strother Tevis E. Dool ey C. W. F.dw~rds F . N . Chandler W. G . Jo 11 n s t on, PER E . D . McConn a ughy W.W .R owley , PER W.W.Rowley , PER

Hard to beat even in Guam LEE CrTY, Ky.- It would take a good -sized hall to acc ommodate all the desctndants of William R iley Davis, 96 years of a ge, and known as ''Uncle Bill Davis.'' He is the father of five, three of whom nre livin g ; the grandfather of twenty-one, and the g reatgrandfather of fifty-four.

THE GUAM RECORDER

MARCH 1928

ADDITIONAL ATHLETIC FACILITIES The arrival and in stallation, i'n the Service Club, the bowling a ll ey::> will ad d a great lleal tu the re c re ational fa ;:; ilities of the Is lau d. The Mornlc Officer is to be eougratul::tted, and certainly rates a vote of thank s frum all h ~tnlls.

Plans are underway for the organization of a bowling leagu e . One team has eome illto exi s lenee and others are in the pro ce~s of formation. l\1nny an hnur will be whil ed away in the comp ili1Y of rattling pin s and balls. ~Jany an nrgnmellt will arise, and many an alibi will be given wh en strikes and sparf::; a re not forth-comin g . All of which will add to the merriment. Th e <1llc:ys o;;hu uld be liberally patronized.

Nl) defini te plans fi)r hours of play, cos t of games , e tc ., have been announced hut will be ma<.le in due time.

The arJditionaJ annoLln c ement that a combination baske t ball court and danc e floor will be erect ed is also of general in te rest. Basket hall will tnke its place alnng .:; id e baseball in the process of the Amcric:w iz at ion of the I sland. Some hav e said that no s ingle factor for America.nizat ion of the hland is so strong as basehall. Now, to that will be added the baske t ball influ e nee, and play ed in a t:easo n not confl ieting with basebnll, it will jump in sta nt fa\' or. \Vh ile not so many ca n play on one team, yet basket b:dl lnnds itself to formation in smaller groups thnn does base ball, with the add ed facto r of Jess ex]w m=e in its favor. Small organizations ca n place str ong teams in the fi eld. It will be easy to form a strong le:1.g t~e n,nd the playing of games \vill not int rrfere with the da.ily routine of work, becau se the games ca n be pln.ycd at night.

Th ~ re is also the possibility thai t.he same fl oor spnce mny be used for h ~nd ball, a strenuou s but mo st benefi cial and interesting game.

or

LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF Mary Hall, youngest daughter of Chaplain and Mrs. H all, fell from a pony, on 8 February , and b roke her right leg above the knee. She was taken t o the ho spi tal where the leg was set and placed in splints. At last reports Mary was doing well, although £he will be in bed for some time. It is ex]1ected th<tt sh e ·will be able to get around on crutches by the time she leaves on the April Chaumorit.

Navy Yard Workman Injured Henry G. Bell, apprentice macl~ini st employee of th e Naval Station, fell from · a pile drive upon which he was working, the fall resulted in Bell receiving a b roken arm and a sc:1lp wound. He was taken to the Naval Hospital where he received medical attentio n.

Narrow Escape From Possible Serious P~ccident Chief Pay Clerk Garret Boer, U.S.Navy, and Mrs. Boer, recently escap ed from what might have been a very serious accident, when upon returning h om e

293

from an automobile drive, they discovered that one of the front wheels of their car was just a bout to fall from the ax le. This sho uld be a timely warning to all drivers of automobiles to reg ul a rly inspt:ct all ·parts of their c ars that might becomE loose ned, particularly the steering gear an d wheels.

A d aughte r was born to Mr. and Mrs. Carl C. Butler, February 21st. at the U. S. Naval Hospital.

The Sugar Industry of the Island of Saipan Saipan, the second largest island , of the Mariana Group, (Guam being the lm·ge~t) has by far txcud- . ed our I s land in production and toward a self supporting condition.

The Germans, during their approximately twenty years occupation of tile Mariana Group, excepting Gnam, undoubtedly caused many changes which increa sed the products, but it has remained for Japan dnri ng rhe few yean; that this nation has exercised its mandatory rule, to bring the exports to what they are today. Ja pa n acquired all of the Mariana Group north of Gnam by right of conquest during the World War and received a mandate over them by the Trea'ty of Paris.

At this time the main product of export was copra, but a few years ago the cc:c~mu t plantations were destroyed by the pest Asptdzotus destr·uctor, and the planting of sugar cane was then o-o ne into extensively and today practically the whole Island of Saipa1~ and some of the other neighboring islands are producing sllgar to the value of 1,000,000 Yen per year.

The following informatio~ on the production of sugar from the Island of Satpan has been received h·om a reliable source.

The population of Saipan is approximately 2,500 Chamorros, (Native inhabitants) and 12,000 J ap.anese, Okinawas and Chosenese.

Owners of farnnng land are re q uireJ. by the government to plant at least two hectares in sugar cane, the total sugar exports for 1927 were 15,750 ton s . The revenue collected by the o-overnment from the Sugar syndicate in export ta x for sugar, not includin g the tax on alcohol and other by-products amounte~ ~o 1 ,000,000 Yen, ~r approximately one-half m:llw~ dol_lars.

Of .th.t s amount the Chamorro natl ve tn111 ab t tants rece1 ved about 25,000 Yen, or approximately $5.00 per cnpita.

The other islands, particularly the nearby I sland of Tinian, are being prepared for the extensive planting of cane and it is estimated that the Japane'e Government will soon derive sufficient funds from export taxes on sugar and the by-products, to maiutain the necessary personnel for the government of the Mariana and Caroline Groups.

The silkworm is said to thrive well in Saipan and our informant states that this business is ~lso. to be expanded.

The coconut plantations on the.1 ~ l a nd are recuperating from the damages of th e Asptd!Otus destructor and 170 tons of copra wer e ~xport ed during the past year, in addition to~ considerable. number of seed nuts which were retamed for plantmg.

294

THE GUAM RECORDER

MAR CH 1928

SOIYIE HISTORICAL NOTES ON LEPROSY W ITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE OCCURRENCE OF THE DISEASE IN GUAl\1

By Li eut.-Com d r. L.

J. Roberts, (MC), H. S. Navy.

The historic al orwm of leprosv is vague because in the early writings numerous otl~er conditicns were confused with it .

Some con~i cle r that the disease dE"scrib ed in the Rig Veda in 1400 B. C. was lepro sy.

Thi s wonld place the first kno \\·n home of leprosy as In dia. The disease is also known to ha ve ex isted in China in very ancien t times.

It is qu ite probable that the returning le g ions of Pompey introdll ce<.l leprosy into Europe from Egypt in the first century, B. C. It v.;;.ls n et until the time of the cn1saderc; , however, th <1t le p ros y became widespr e ad in Europe . By the 13th centtH~' it had become so prevalent that very dras tic action vvas necessary to stamp out th e disease.

Lepers \Vt:re required to wear a special dress and ring a bell ns they walked a lon g the country-side, thu s announci n g their approach as those ''unclean ' '.

Numerous l epe r a::.ylnms were e~tabli:;hed of 'i·vhich by the 14th cen tury there were about tV\Tentv thousand.

The result of these mea s nres wa.; that by the 15th centnr_y leprosy had a lmost disappeared from Europe as a vtbole.

No s u c h mc asure.s were taken in the Ori e nt, however, and China h a s b een the c enter from which the disease h as spre~1d in n10re recf'nt years.

In their movem ents about the world the Chinese are said to have introdnced leprosy into the Hawaiian I s lands, Polynesia, Colombia, California, Australia and New Z ealand.

Th ey may have brou g ht t he disease to Guam or it may have been introduced fr om F. nr op e either direct or via J\I exi co.

The writi ng·s of some of the earli~r voyage rs who vi~ited Guam mention the ex isl ence of a clisense which they called leprosy . c ~:~.pta i u Do mpier who visited Guam in 1686 s ta tes that ma:r.y of the people of Guam were "tronbled with a kind of leprosie, '' but the disease described does not conform to that now known as leprosy . The member of the staff of Louis de Freycinet's ex ped iti on of 18 18, extracts from whose letters were published in the GUAM RECORDER of April, 1927, describes th e co ndition of seve ral of the inmates ~f solitary hou se~ a few hnndred yards from Anigua. He calb thes e pEop le le pe rs but, from hi s d escriptio n, it appears probable th a t at least some of these people were afflicted with gangosa.

In 1890 the Spanish Government of Guam esta bli~;hed a lep e r s et t l em ent at P ago where ahont forty persons \\'ere rec!uded.

From the informat1on obtainable it appe8. rs likely that a m aj ority of the it:~­ m ates h a d, not lepro~y , bnt gangosa.

This colony was doo med to be short lived bee a t1 se a bo n t two y ears after it was es t3blished it wa~ destroyed by a typhoon. The lepers w ere n eve r all collected again although a few were k ep t in a ho sp ital at A.san.

These appear to have escaped from c onfi nem en t about the time of the S pan ish-American \:Var and, at the time of the establishment of the present government

in Guam, there were no kn own cases althot1gb it was suspected that the disease ~till existed en the island.

In February, 1902 , it was reported to Goye rnor Schroede r that four lepers ha d been discoyered in bid ing, concealed from the authorities by their friends.

A careful search revealed the pre!'e nce of twenty more le pers and th e entire number were recluded Jnly 1st, 1902, in a colony, establishtd for the purpose, on the sho re of Tuman Bay. C arefu l regulations vvere drawn up with a view to·ward insuring that none but le pers be segre ga ted there.

The expense of this e:olony ' '' <IS borne by the Island Governme n t.

Th e nnmb er of lepers rec1nd ed at Tumon colony increased yea r by year until in July, 1907, th e re ~.vere ei gh t y -five inm at es. At tbis time a Federal appropriation be.came available for u se in tbe care of l epe rs and for other allied pnr posfs a1~d Congrc-~::; has renewed the appropriation every year ~inct th a t titr::e.

As knowled ge concerning the diseases prevalent in Guam incr ea::,ed and it was found possible to distinguish more accurately between l eprosy a nd gm1gosa, the number confin ed as lepers was consider ab ly red need and, by 1910, there were twenty· six lepers segregated at Tnmon. 1'his probably represen ts the actual number of lepers in Guam at that time. Soon after this it was r ecommended that the l epers of Gu a m be removed to the leper coloP y at Cnlion in the Philippine [slands.

This was carri ed out and, bv the end of 1913, there were no reco g nizEd casEs of l~prosy in Guam.

From time to time other lepers were apprehended but were sent imm ed iately to Cnlion.

In 1924 Tuman was re-op en ed to receive thre~ lep ers 'v ho had ju st been di scove red.

Two others who h ad been brought back from the Philippine Islands were also placed there. No changes have be ~ n made in Tumon colon y since that time . There are sti ll li v ing at Culion nine Gu a m leper~. three of whom were among those origin alJy sent the re .

It appears very likely that it will be possible to relea se one of the patients recluded at Tnmon in the very near fnture. Eventna11v the rel ease of three more from Tumon and three r'rom Cnli on seems : :> robable.

A di~cn~sion of the his tory of lrpro:::y in Gmnn would not be complf'te without. a. dir-:cripfion of the l0prr colnny Rt Culion where the mn j ority of the Gt111.m 1epP rs live.

The C ul inn 1P p <:> r eo 1on y is s i i u n 1e <i n b C"Ju t l 7 5 mil eR sonth of Maniln. nnd consistl' nf tht~ Is1 n nd of Culi on,wh ich lu1.s ::tn aren of nbo1!1.l50 rquare miles, and aJ.;;;o of certa in sma ll isl nnds nearby. A small part of Culion I sland i ~ Prt. ::1si<ie 11s a non- contagi ons n re ::t to which no lP.p(~r is arlmitted. In this ::tr<'n the non-lcpron::: emplo.''f'PR li ve and it is hPre th at the

::tdm i nistrn.tion

building-,

pos t-(lffi.cc

and Eli mi1ar

buildings are 1oc n tAd . E xcept. for the non-contagion~ area the lepers are allowed abso1u tc freedom of

MARCH 1928

THE GUAM RECORDER

Culion I sland, the near-by islands designated, and the su rroun d ing waters.

The leper population is about 5000 and a large proportio n ot these live in a town adjaceilt to the non-eontagious area.

Here the hos pi t:ii.l wards, pha.l'macy, b bora tory, power plant and other central builJings are lo ea.tcd . It is in this tovvn that the Gu:.tm lepers live. 'Ilbe town is very clean, is electric lighted with wiring to the hou ses and clorrnitorie~, :1nd h<~s the typical community life of the Filipinos with the tiendas, or small shopE', barber shop , t.ailor shop , shoe shop, cold storage and bakery; all of these activit ies being run and maintained by lepers on lepC' r cn.pital. The unmarri ed adults live in dormitories, the sexes being segregatrd .

1\tlany of the lepers, ho\vcvcr, have married other lcp (~rs ~tnd h~we sepa.ra.tc dwelling pbees.

All but abo ut five hundred of the five thousand lepers prepare their own food in their own qu:lrters.

At this time about three hundred are pa.ticnts in the hospital prope r.

Abont two-fifths of the lPpcr popu!:.ttion live in dorm it ories .

The f'3mal1 individual house~ occupied by m :H!Y of the families are built by the lepers who huve the necessary capital.

Most of the ln.bnr and clerical work done in the co lony is done by the ]Ppers themsPlves nncl th ey are paid by the Philippine Government.

Farming and fi shing are carried on very extensively in the colony by the lepe rs. Mn.ny of them live on little farms up in the valleys away from the town. The farming is chiefly in the n at ure of truck farmi ng and poultry raising, the produce being sold to the Government whieh in turn issues it as a pn.rt of the G')vcrn men t ration to which each leper is entitled. At pres<~nt the GovernnlCnt bu ys monthly about 20,000 kilos of vegetables from the lepers.

Many of the lepers arc engagcrl in furniture making, the fur~1iture being made from n at ive woocis and sold to the otl1er mc~rnbe.rs of the colony. The above are the most important occupations in which the lep e rs rtre eng:tged. All who are able are enc~uragerl by the author itie~ to cngf\ge in profitnble occu pat.ions and the am bi ti ous and enterprising r2ceive the same or twt.i"er rewn.rds than they might expect in an ordinary Filipino community.

The recreatio nal and educational facilities are excellent.

There are Fiesta.~, muving pictures, pool tn.ble.3, a pit in which cock fights nre fr equently held, and plays in which all who are able are encouraged to take part. The Sisters of Charity and the priests do a great deal to improve the monle by arranging V<Hious fetes to kP-ep the peop le interested.

A school whe re the work of the first seven grades is taught admits pupils of all ages . . The writer rec ent.ly visited Culion and ';vas greatly 1mpre:3sed by the excellent morale, the spirit of enterprise, the efficient organization, and the high profe.3sional standards to be found there.

From the facts which we have at hand it is unlik ely th1.t leprosy baR within recent times been particularly prevalent in Guam. It certa.inJ.v appears to be decreasing at present and it is to be hoped that no new

295

cases will develop. Not only has segregation of the affl icted reduced the frequeney of new admissions, but modern methods of treatment have brightened markedly the outlook for those already leprou s.

Further investigative work is going forward at many leper colonies and the time is probably not far distant when all civiliLGed co untri es will be free fron~ a disease which was at one time consiLlered one of the greatest scourges of mankind.

GOVERNMENT From Dr. Frank Crane's Four Minute Essays

''The best of a ll possible governments is that in which the last and least citizen feels he is to hlame or to be prai sed fur all the goverument does.

The worst is that in which the largest number of citizens drJ not think it is a.ny concern of th~irs.

All governments by a chose n few, by the richest, strongest. wi sest or best, tend to keep the people in a state of chi ldh ood . The stronger the state the weaker the people.

The whole people grows as a man grows, by seJfexpression and re::;ponsibili ty.

It is not ~o necessary to keep a people from making mi8takrs; it is nece~sary to make a people feel that it is responsible for its mistakes.

Government's sm all est duty is ruling a people; its chief duty is educating a people.

You have heard it said that this or that nation is unfit flll' sd f-guv ernrnent . As a matter of fact, there never \Va s a nation fit for self-gove rnment. A people gmws c:tpable of self-gove rnm ent in only one wayby go \路ern ing itt:clf.

Thrre is sorne t ruth lurking in the the Spaniard's remark. ''A r epublic,' : he said, "is an impossible form of government." "Why then," he ~路as asked, ''do the Fr~nch prmper under a republic?'' ''B.~ca. n ::;e ,'' h e an3we red , ''Frenchmen are essentially ungovernable.''

Many Pardons For Erring Navy Boys WASHINGTO~, Dec. 30 .-(AP)- Secretary of the Navy \Vilb nr announced today that ::1pproximately one half the men in naval prisons have been pardoned and released, eithe r to return to civilian life or to remain on duty in t.he navy. The pardons t.otal 534, 100 of which are effective at M:ue I sland , California.

The Best Customer CAN ADA, with a population of less than ten million, was the United Stc:~trs best customer, as well as its chief source of s uppl y , during the first nine months of 1927 , as shown in a hu lleti n on "Our World Trade'' recently iss ued by the Foreign Commerce Department.

296

THE GUAM RECORDER

MARCH 1928

PUBLIC WORKS AND INDUSTRIES LI EUTENANT

EDWARD D, GRAFFIN,

(CEC), U.S.

NAVY

PURCIC WORKS OFFICER

Roads and Bridges:- Work was completed this month on the Barrigada Ro ad from San Antonio to the Patrol Quarters. This road is now in excellent condition and affords one of the most pleasant short drives available on the island.

The approaches to the new Togcha bridge on both sides were also completed and connect up the Ylig section of the road with the new portion, which is now under construction, leading to Ipan. The contr~ctor working on the Togcha-Ipa n road has made better progress and bas r,ow snrfaced over five hundred feet of road and cleared over six thou sand feet of right-of-way.

Having the approaches and the bricige over the Togcha available for use, it is now possible for the contractor to secu re his cascajo from a better pit a nd quite satisfactory work is being performed dne to the fact that he is now able to use Ford trucks in hauling the material.

The government force s have begun work at the northern end of the Ipan-Talofofo section of the ro ad . A camp has heen estab lished and the air compressor moved to the site. \Vork was begun on the northern end of the face of As -Quiroga cliff and is to be continued around the cliff to Talofofo.

E x ten sive repairs are being made to the Lalo Ro ad , a branch of the Barri ga da. Repairs are also being effec ted by government force s to the Pago Road from Sinajana to the Pago bridge.

Plans have been completed and specification s dcawn for the extension of the Inarajan- Talofofo Road at the southern end .

Contract ors have been invited to in spect the site ~he early part of March and bids are to be received about the middle of March.

A sh0rt section of roadw ay has been completed as an exten sion to the Calle Pazos in the Navy Yard at Agana leading from the paint storage building to the waterfront.

Buildings:- The bowling alley~ which were received on the U.S. S . Henderson were installed this month and have been opened to the service perso nnel. This has already proven to be a very popular addition to the Clnb.

Materials have been placed on the area preparatory to beg in n ing the new dance floor and basket ball conrt. This structure is to be erected on the vacant lot ad joining- the Service Club. Actual work will be begun the first part of March and \vi1l be pushed to an early compl et ion. The Service Club thus will be quite a center for several varieties of indoor/ sports and should prove to be one of the finest of its kind in an y of the tropical stations.

Work was beg-un on the renewing of the roof of the Radio Repair Shop in the rear of the Palace grounds ; also a new ro of was placed on the Radio Com pass Station at the top of Mt. Santa Rosa.

In order to provide sufficient space for the children attendin g the Ani g na school, the property adjoining

the s chool was recently purchased by theN a val Government and the houses on this pro per ty are to be removed and the site cleared. Work was begun on the remova l of these houses, quite satisfactorily movirJg them to a vacant lot approximately tvYO hundred yards away: When completed this will furn .i sh a lar ge r an d safer playground for the children attt路nding the school.

Shops: - Work was begun the latter part of the month on the con s truction of the new Coal Storage Plant at the Agana Navy Yard. Driving the rail pile bulkhead was started and the 拢ite partially clear~d.

Approval has been received from the Navy Department to r e move the combined machine shop and joiner shop building at Piti Nav y Yard from the pre~ ent location and to place it adjacent to the entranceway gate so as to secure more available space for the loading and unlo adi ng of supplies from ships a long the water-front.

This new location will al so prove to be more satisfactory for the working of these shops due to their proximity to the marine railway and the stiff路 leg derrick adjacent to Pier No.1. The building was jacked from its foundation s and placed on rollers and the building moved approximately half the required di stance by the end ofthe month.

None of the materials required in connection with the improvement of the telephone system . ha\'e arrived bnt it is understood that they have been purchased by the Navy Department.

Waterfront:- No further work was performed on the quay wall during the last month but the surroundi.n gs of the new bath-house at Coal Island were consideraby improved due to the cooperation of the Beac.hmaster.

Floating Equipment: - Work is b eing begun on the desig n of the new water barge with tanks completely below decks.

Repairs of a minor nature have been performed on several of the freight lighters and steamers in preparation for the arrival of the Grace Dollar the middle of March.

California and Guam School Children Correspond H ay ward, Calif., Dec. 29.-Continued communication between local grammar schoo1 boys and girls and children of Guam has resulted from a program begun more than two years ago, when Hayward youngsters sent specially prepared books containing California picture scenes and dates to the island.

Several interch a nges have since been made, and, as a result the Hayward children have a cl~arer conception of scenery and conditions in Guam, while the youngsters there probably have received similar benefits, according to school officials. The program will be continued with the openin g of schools for the spring semester. Many letters have been written and received by Hayward boys and girls.