Evening star., 1904-06-10
FLIP mo I VISIT ORS
Officially Entertained by the
Government.
~
RECEIVED PRESIDENT
GIVEN A LUNCHEON AND RE-
cEPTIoN TODAY.
Pleasant Speeches by Secretary Taft
and DIR. Trinidad N. Pardo de
Tavera-Last Nights Function.

| 80 'iiipPiicS pOF las flHplNOS, WHICH,
In the more prosaic English, means "The
Fhi1pplnes for the Filip.nos,' is the motto
/ coined by Secretary Taft when he was gov
| ernor of the faraway islands Today that
| motto was espoused by President Roose-
| Welt at a luncheon given the members of
! the honorary board of Philippine commits
| sioners and reiterated again and again by
| other nigh officers of the administration
ana by the F1lipinos themselves. Following
the luncheon, the visitors were rendered a
| reception by Mrs. Roosevelt, in the parlors
| u the White House, when they were pre-
sented to officers of the army and navy, and
| persons prominent in the civil affairs of the
| ration This reception was to have been
! given on the south lawn but the disagree
able weather precluded the carrying out of
this part of the program. This morning
the Fflipinos, who are guests of the United
states on five months pleasure trip
| throuS.l TINS country wcTe formally and in
Iornaliy received by Secretary Taft After
greeting each member OF the party person.
any and telling them they looked "muy
| nave mucheo dinero" the Secretary made
| &c them an address of welcome and assured
| them OF the deep inter, st taken in their
| trip by the President, the administration
| and by the American people
If President is Elected.
In the course of his remarks Secretary
Taft said that if President Roosevelt was
elected he the Secretary would make a
tour OF inspection of the islands He also
| SAID he believed that legislation which was
| pending in Congress, and which was great
~ needed, would be passed in some modi-
ned form during the coming winter The
Secretary made several humorous allu-
| sions to his experience in the islands.
| Dr. Iavera graciously responded, assur-
| IIg the secretary of the confidence of the
| flnplnos IN the policy and intentions of the
american government, of their love for the
present Secretary of War, and concluded
| oy saying: Although, 1t may be contrary
| 10 al IDEAS of formality and the custom of
the American people, we cannot leave your
ofhce without saying, Long live Taft"
While these speeches were being made
| the Filipinos listened intently some deep
| In thought, others taking notes on little
| tablets, While the eyes of q few We're dim
| med with tears, SO impressed were they
with the significance OF the occasion The
| members OF the commission are of a par
ticuiarly Intelligent type, and range in
years from twenty to sixty. While going
| through the War, State and Navy Depart
| ments, after their reception, they over
| looked nothing which had an interesting or
Instructive value, and the Interrogation,
| Que es esti?" (What is this?) was heard
| necessarily. The president of the commits
| sion, DIR. Tavera, seems to be very well
known among the Americans who have Wis
| lieu the fIllIlDpID6S- tie IS q physician, a
| philosopher and educator, and student of
no mean attachments. His brother, Dr.
| Felix Pardo de Tavera of Buenos Ayres, is
| looked upon as the only Filipino sculptor
| in the world. He is Il physician, and has a
| large practice in the Argentine capital, but
| in his spare moments he wieds the chisel
with the hand of a master In the Argen-
tine building at the Louisiana purchase ex-
position is a marble bust, the work of DR..
Tavera, which has elected considerab BILE ia
vorable comment from those who have
seen 1T.
Secretary Taft's Greeting.
In greeting the Filipinos. Secretary Taft
said:
Gentlemen of the honorary Filipino
commission: l hope l do not need to as
sure you that there is no business that
comes over this desk that Is treated with
such affectionate interest that pertain
ing to the Philippine Islands. This is the
desk where my predeces essor, that great
statesman, Mr.. Root, en- earnest friend of
the Filip!nos formulated the policy which
was adopted by Mr.. Mckinley and followed
with enthusiasm by Mr.. Roosevelt. And
when you go back to the islands. l am sure
that you will III feel that there is throb-
bing here as there is in Gov. Wright's Of
fee in Manila, an intense desire to preserve
the Philippines for the Filpinos, and to do
everything that will inure to the benefit of
the people of those islands. 1t is not far
from Malacanan here and it is not far from
here to Malacanan.
"Of course, do not know how the cleo
ton is coming out next November, but
should ii result in the reelection of PreSi-
dent Roosevelt, 1 have promised myself,
subject to the Presidents wish, the pleasure
OF tour of inspection in the islands. 1t
is very necessary for the Secretary of War
to make a tour of inspection. Naughter).
"You will remember that in the law
which provides for the election of popu-
lar assembly in the Philippines 1t is left
to the President to say when the condition
pf ba islands is such TO warrant the
election of such an assembly, and, of
course, it is necessary for his representa-
tive, the Secretary OF war, to go there to
see that the conditions are as they ought
to be.
And now, gentlemen, you may remem-
ber that about three years ago there was
an assemblage of AmericanS-we made
party of nearly fifty, and you sent us
through the islands, from province to prov
fnee and subjected our digesttons to
trial that nearly killed us all. Now, If we
are only taking a little revenge upon you,
you must bear u0 under 1t.
ssYou will bear me out when I say that
on my return from the United States 10
Manila I told you that the American people
were profoundly friendly to the Filipino
people, and desired nothing but the good OF
the Filipino people, l hope that your ex-
nerience since you landed, and your expert
ence until YOU shall leave these shores will
onIy confirm what 1 have said to you of
the intense desire of the American people
for your prosperity ana your happiness.
~ x
nassed, but we are pressing for its passage,
and we shall not be satisfied as long as the
ma aiority continues in the House and Sem
ate as it is until we obtain the legislation
which YOU and l know is necessary for the
full development of the Philippine Islands
II have every confidence that the bill
which has passed the House and is pending
in the Senate will pass that body in a more
or less amended form. and when 1t does
pass American capital will go into those
islands for the construction of railroads
and such other works as are necessary to
make the islands produce what they
ought to.
I'm connection with works Of improve
ment I am glad to say that we have found
a gentleman to fill the vacancy caused in
the commission by the change when came
home who goes to the Philippines with a
full knowledge of the methods Of construc-
tion that are needed for railroad develop
ment, who goes there with no other purpose
than that Of helping the islands and of
making his reputation there, as he has
made it here, that Of man devoted to the
public interest and knowing how to do
things that ought to be DONE 1 refer to
Mr. w. Cameron Forbes. l hope you will
all have the pleasure of meeting him before
he goes.