140
THE GREEN BAG
sir let me go along.'" Be it understood that the military authorities were not always enthusiastic to help the civil folk. In fact they rather resented the setting up of civil government at all: First, because they thought the country was not ready for it, and second because it involved giving up power. The writer can not resist the temptation in this connection to quote the opening passage of the first report of the Taft Commission, which is permeated with the same humorous serenity that charact erizes the message from Manila to the undersigned quoted above: "The commission arrived in Manila on January 3d, last, was courteously received by Major-General Arthur MacArthur, the military governor, and after about a month was furnished with comfortable quarters. (The italics are the writer's.) It is human nature to enjoy the pos session of power, and difficult to enjoy giving it up. Just as the river steamer was tying up to her wharf at Aparri, Mr. Brower, who had been scanning the harbor in the hope of seeing some army boat, or tramp steamer, or other means of sea transportation, spied a row-boat coming from a launch which lay at anchor in the middle of the stream. In the stern was a white man with a gold braided cap. As he came along side we asked him which way he was bound. As luck would have it he was going our way. His vessel was a launch belonging to the quartermaster's department of the army. He expected to leave Aparri for the same place we were going to as soon after mid night as the state of the tide would permit, probably between three and four o'clock in the morning. He was the captain of the launch, that is to say, he was an employee of the quartermaster's department and in charge of this launch. At any rate he was the master of the vessel. I stated the situation in a few words and asked if he could take us with him. He very promptly and cordially consented, adding that we
were at liberty to go aboard at any time. He would be glad to have us along. We had, among other impedimenta, two heavy boxes of books, to say nothing of our trunks. If we should avail ourselves of the help of the crew of the river steamer at once, before they went ashore, we would be able to get our effects aboard the launch with a minimum of inconvenience and a maximum of speed. The captain of the river boat had very kindly volunteered to have our stuff transferred to the launch. So, directing Mr. Brower to take the serv ants with him, and accompany our prop erty aboard the launch, and wait for me there, I went ashore to see some friends of the 1 6th Infantry who like myself had served during the war in the volunteer army. Upon learning of our plan to pro ceed from Aparri to Laoag on the little quartermaster's launch above referred to, they rather chilled my enthusiasm about the supposed "God-send" by declaring that the boat was sadly in need of repair, and was practically unseaworthy, that it was very doubtful if she could live in the rough waters where the China Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet (off the northwestern coast of the island of Luzon). They meant off Cape Bojeador, a rocky headland some sixty miles from Aparri, which experi enced seafaring men who know both places consider as dangerous as Hatteras. They urged to be allowed to send out to the launch and bring our effects ashore, so that we might wait until some safe method of transportation should turn up. I would not consent, but my peace of mind was sorely disturbed. Thereafter, in walking about the town, I met the captain of the port, who corroborated the gruesome state ments of my friends of the i6th Infantry. This was almost too much. About that time the captain of the quartermaster's launch hove in sight. I went down the street to meet him. He was a perfect Mark Tapley, the sunshiniest of individ uals. Upon hearing the derogatory state
