Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1912 — U. S. Army Officers Start Moro Paper [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

U. S. Army Officers Start Moro Paper

ST. LOUIS.—From Zamboanga and the domain of the sultan of Sulu, in the Philippines, come tidings of the first newspaper ever published in a Moro language. Furthermore, it is unique in that it is a government owned and operated newspaper, and among Jts contributors, ami supporters are The military authorities of the' Moro province. Prominent among the latter is .Capt William Reed, United States cavalry, who is governor of Sulu and chief of staff of Gen. John J. Pershing, military governor of the Province of Moro. • As Lieut. "Billy*’ Reed this martial (newspaper man is well remembered In SU Louis, where he was a member of the military staff in charge of the> Jefferson Guards at the' world’s fair. A copy of the first issue of the Sulu

News has been received by J. Bissell Ware of St. Louis from Captain Reed. The salutatory, after a timely preachment to the frisky Moro aneat the blessings of peace and the delights and profits of a bucolic existence, proceeds to explain the paper’s reason for existence. The editor makes apology for typographical shortcomings by explaining that the Arabic characters were purchased originally for the purpose of printing two primers for use of the schools, that those who employed the type are no longer at hand, and that the editor had learned “to handle but awkwardly the 500 characters employed.” The purpose of the publication, it is explained, is to impart useful information to the Sulu reading population, to arouse their interest in the development of their splendid agricultural country and to encourage all measures which make for their real progress. As a forecast of the good things that are to come the editor announces that "Datu Raja Munda Mandi and Sheik Mustafa Ahmad will aid in the writing of this paper.” As a further inducement to circulation it is announced that the paper will be distributed free to all who desire to receive It.