Three Kings Who Reigned Under Unde Sam’s Wings.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17985, 2 April 1930, Page 15

Three Kings Who Reigned Under Unde Sam’s Wings.

War and slaughter flamed over the rich sugar province of Occidental Negros in the Philippines. Constabulary forces were powerless against the revolting natives: Lives were lost in this uprising that combined the elements of both tragedy and comic opera. The GovernorGeneral, the late Leonard Wood, rushed to t.he scene, and with persuasive words calmed the restless forces of rebellion. The self-styled “Prophet-Emperor” of the Philippines, Elor Intrencherado, and his followers were on the war-path. But for a brief time only. The revolt was quelled and Elor was sent to an asylum in Manila, from which he was recently released. Elor, we learn from a copyrighted article by Hiram Merriman, syndicated by the Newspaper Enterprise Association, was one of the three ‘.‘kings” the United States has allowed to “reign”—so long as they did not make trouble—on the American soil of the Philippines. Another was the dwarf king, Diki-diki, ot North Übian Island. This ruler, who died recently, was only three feet two inches in height. Another was King Lucas, chief of a Negrito tribe near the United States Army post of Camp Stotsenburg. But, going back to His Majesty, little Diki-diki, Mr Merriman, a traveller and author, tells us of his love affair:

“Diki-diki lived a bachelor until he was 50. Then the springs of youthful love began to run through him and he cast about for a lady-love. He found an inamorata in the diminutive person of Ajaratol, a dwarf princess appropriately a trifle shorter than he, living on an island not so far away. “The first obstacle to Diki-diki’s path was a rival, 'the diminutive ruler of South Übion, Maharaja Kiram, three feet eight inches in height. Kiram had been courting the coy princess for almost a year before Diki-diki appeared on the scene, hut the 50-year-old Panglima, with his knowledge of the world, went to battle with so much energy that Kiram was soon placed in the discard, and retired to South Übian disgruntled and privately breathing words of defiance as to what he was going to do to Diki-diki. “An A.merican official managed to talk both parties out of open war, and persuaded the defeated rival that in this twentieth century the ladies had to be permitted to say whom they wanted and when, and that, speaking fr- u experience, married life was not so romantic and

generally desirous as Kiram might childishly have imagined. “The rival < ted. D I-diki went to work in earnest. He found the lady willing to converse with him and enjoy outings in the royal yacht, but she put him off when he, with protestations ot love, asked her to reign with him on North Übian happily forevermore. “Diki-diki became so insistent that at last she turned him down with a flat ‘no.’ The little suitor, heart-broken-wept in Iris palace for a week, and then, on the advice of his Prin: Minister, called a consultation of the neighbouring chiefs. They liked the little fellow, and besides, his island was one of the most prominent in the group, and with his title of Panglir ■>, his friendship with the Americans, and his pugnacious spirit, he had quite an enviable position of authority. “They agreed to go to Princess Ajaratol and use their combined power of persuasion on the unwilling bride. Two days and night of flattery and argument and pleadings finally won the miss over, and she agreed to marrv Diki-diki. “The two were wedded in Jolo, by the leading priest of the Sultan of Sulu, and Kiram, the rlefeatcd rival, recovered sufficiently from his sulks to act as best man.” “King Lucas of the Negritos” seems a wrinkled, barefooted specimen to be a real ruler, but- he has the power of life and death over the members of the primitive tribe, relates Mr Merriman, continuing “The Negrito shares with the Australian bushman the honour of being the world’s most backward human. Most of them have no fixed habitations’ but wander through the forests digging out roots and catching small animals, roosting at night in the trees. “The tribe of King Luc is was so fortu nate as to live near the United States Army camp at Stotsenberg. During the American occupation, a period of almost thirty years, these natives have been gradually trained to grow; crops and adopt some of the artificialities of civilisation. “The American officers welcomed King Lucas with open arms. In recognition of his faithfulness to the United States, he was made colonel of tho Balugas in 1921 by Brigadier-General Charles G. Treat, U.S.A, Commander of Camp Stotsenburg. In 1922 Lucas was dubbed ‘Brigadier-General.’ and he was officially made king in 1923 by Brigadier-Genera' Johnson Hagood.”