Evening star., 1908-01-27
PROGRESS OF
THE F|l|P|N0S
What Has Been Accomplished
for the People.
NINE YEARS. OCCUPATION
Report of the Secretary Of War to
Congress.
HIS RECENT OBSERVATIONS
Optimistic Feeling, But Long Time
Before They Are Fit for Com
plete self-Gevernment.
HIS RECENT OBSERVATIONS

/ the FiliplnoS in an exhaustive report
4 transmitted to Congress by the President
with letter written by the chief execu-
tive commencing in the highest terms
i the Secretary's conclusions. The Presi-
/ dent declares that ruin would have fol-
lowed the adoption of any policy toward
| the Philippines other than that outlined by
William Mckinley and carried forward
through these nine years. and says tri-
i umphantly that there is no brighter page
| in history than that dealing with the re-
lations between the strong and the weak
| in those islands. He adds that the Fill
| pfnos "have yet a long way 10 travel be-
i fore they will be fit for complete self
government
| In his letter of transmission the Prcsi-
dent says:
II transmit herewith the report of Sec.
| retary Taft upon his recent trip to the
Philippines. I heartily concur in the rec
concentrations he makes. and call espe-
cial attention to the admirable work OF
Gov. Smith and his associates. 1t is a
subject for Just national qualification that
such a report as this can be made. Ne
great civilized power has ever managed
/ with such wisdom and disinterestedness
the affairs of people committed by the
| accident Of war 10 its hands. If we had
followed the advice of the misguided
persons who wished us to turn the islands
| loose and let them suffer whatever fate
might befaii them they would have al
ready passed through period of complete
and bloody chaos. and would now un-
douhtedly be the possession of some other
] power which there is every reason to be-
| lieye would not have done as we have
done; that is. would not have striven to
teach them how to govern themselves or
| to have developed them, as We have de-
veloped them. primarily in their own in
terests. Save only our attitude toward
Cuba, I question whether there is q
| brighter page in the annals of interna-
tional dealing between the. strong and the
weak than the page which tells of our
doings in the Philippines. call especial
attention to the admirably clear showing
made BY Secretary Taft of the fact that
| 1t would have been equally ruinous If we
had yielded to the desires of those who
wished us I'd go faster in the direction
Of giving the Fifipinos self-government
and II We had followed the policy advo-
Gated by others. who desired US simply
to rule the islands without any thought
at all Of fitting them for self-government
The islanders have made real advances
| in hopeful direction, and they have
opened we'll with the new Philippine as
| sembly: they have yet long way to
travel before they will be fit for complete
! self lf-goverEment. and for deciding. as il
will then be their duty to do, whether
| this self-goyernment shall be accompa-
MED by complete independence. IT will
! proha bly, be generation-it may even be
| longer--before this point is reached; but
it is most gratifying that such substan-
thai progress toward this as a goal has
already been accomplished We desire
/ that Ii be reached at as early a date as
possible for the sake OF the Filipinos and
/ endeayor to hurry the time will proba bly,
mean that the goal will not be attained
at an
Secretary Optimistic.
! Secretary Taft's report records his OBJ
servations on his recent visit to the is
| lands to the extent Of nearly eighty
| printed pages. Generally speaking the
| Secretary is optimistic in high degree
in treating of this subject. even though
! he cannot fix a time for declaring the in
dependence OF the islands. In answer to
| the critics, who have made ''the most
astounding and unfair statements in re-
spect to the cost to the United States of
! the Philippines. he figures that out at a
! total annual expenditure Of s, .OOO. .OGO. and
he vigorously denies the failure OF the
| Philippine policy. He says that great
| changes have occurred in the islands The
people are now anxious to have the Amer
| lean soldiers retained. There Is q high
/ standard Of the administration Of justice.
| Nothing is more popular than the con-
staioulary. There are no questions between
| the government and the Roman Catholic
Church. unless the Agiipa yam sclism can
! be said 10 be involved. Peace prevails in a
! greater degree than ever before in the
| history Of the islands. The magnificent
| Ben0uet road is now justified by the re-
! suits obtained.
! The Secretary is willing to limit the
: amount OF sugar and toba eco that can
| be exported to the United States. He pre-
! diets development OF business within
! twenty-five years that will make the Fill
! ipiaos themselves stand high in the
! worlds Industrial populations. His rec
concentrations arc that Philippine produc. IS
| be admitted into the United States free
o. duty under reaSonab BILE limita tiGns:
! that present restrictions be removed upo1
! the acquisition OF mining properties; that
/ the Philippine government be authorized
| 10 conduct an agricultural bank. and
| finally that tire ISLANDS be exempted from,
! the operations Of the cnastwise shipping
! laws.
Review of Situation.
! In general review of the situation
| Secretary Taft says in part:
! IT Is more than nine years si,.ce the
battle of Manila bay and the subsequent
surrender Of Manila by the Spaniards
to the American forces. IT is more than
! eight years since the exchange Of rati-
/ flaations of the treaty of Paris. BY
which the Philippine Islands lassed
under the sovereignty and be ecarne the
/ II
more than seven years since President
| Mckinley, b. written instructions to
! Mr.. Root. Secretary of War. committed
! the government Of the Philippine Is
lands to the central control Of :ne Phil
| ippine commission. subject to the super
| vision of the Secretary OF War 1t is
| more than six years since the complete
installation of quasi civil government
| in the islands. with II civil governor as
| executive and the commission as legis-
! lature. all by authority of the President
| as cOmmander-in-ch of the army and
| navy. 1t Is more than five years since
| the steps taken by President Mckinley
and yourself in establishing and main.
tanning a quasi civil government; in the
| islands were completely ratified and
confirmed by the Congress III an or
ganic act which. in effect. continued the
existing government, but gave Il needed
| powers as q really civil government
+, that the President under constitutions
limitations was unable to confer. The
| installation of the assembly seems t.
be- therefore. an appropriate time for :;
precise statement of the national policy
| toward the people of the Philippines
adopted by Mr.. Mckinley. continued by
/ YOU and confirmed by Congress, for Il
historical summary of the conditions
political social and material existing
! in the islands when the United States
| became responsible for their govern
ment and for Ii revieW of the results OF
| governmental measures taken 10 i'm
1 prove the conditions of law and order
4 the political and intellectual capacity ot
the people and their sanitary and ma
| ter.al welfare.
Th. National Policy.
! Shortly stated, tie national polcS. is ts
govern the Philippine Islands for ths
| hopeHt aud walfare and un,iftine of ti,s