so fast and so far as conditions
might seem to justify, we determined to visit the several provinces
and to familiarize ourselves with conditions on the ground in each
case before taking action. We invariably sought the opinion of
the military authorities as to the fitness of the provinces under
consideration for civil rule, and never established it except with
their approval. Indeed, in several cases we yielded to their judgment
and organized provinces which we ourselves thought might better wait
for a time.

Our first trip was to the northward along the line of the
Manila-Dagupan railway, and in the course of it we organized the
provinces of Bulaean, Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan.

On the 2d of March we crossed Manila Bay to Bataan and established
a civil provincial government there.

The first provincial officers were necessarily appointed, not
elected. I well remember the consternation which Mr. Taft created
on this trip, when in announcing the appointment of a man of strong
character who was much disliked by some of the people present, he
said that if the appointee did not behave well his official head
would be promptly removed. Surprise showed on almost every face in
the audience. They had become sufficiently accustomed to the idea of
being beheaded or otherwise sent out of the world by their own people,
but had been led to believe that the Americans were a humane nation,
and it took Mr. Taft at least five minutes to explain his joke.

During the second week in March the commission transferred its officers
bodily to the United States Army Transport _Sumner_ and started on
a long journey in the course of which it visited and established
provincial governments in eighteen provinces, [462] returning to
Manila on the 3d of May.

This trip was most interesting but dreadfully wearing. Everywhere
we were overwhelmed by the hospitality of our Filipino friends. We
arrived at some new place nearly every morning, and the programme in
each was much the same. After an early breakfast we hurried ashore,
drove or walked about for a short time to see what the town was like,
and then attended a popular meeting in its largest building, where
we held long and frank converse with the people on local conditions,
giving them every opportunity to air their views, with the result that
the local orators, of whom there were usually more than a sufficiency,
had an opportunity to bring their heavy guns into action. Then followed
a r