Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-15
America i'm the
Philippines
XV-QueStlon of independence
by FREDERIC j. HAsKIN

IT7S57;5S7SSSETI ANILA.-The Filipino peo-
| ia Nj pie aspire to national in
in n n dependence. This is not
! ID n al an unnatural aspiration on
IM MAll the part of any people, it
nzzslssssAszial has been known as pa
trlotism' in some coun-
tries, and even in the F'ilipinos it is
/ not altogether wicked. This natural
aspiration has fed rich food from
Washington The party which has been
| in power in the United States ever
since the Philippines came into Ameri>
can possession has repeatedly assured
| the Filipinos that they would be given
independence as soon as they were
fitted for 1t. The party in opposition
has lost no opportunity to demand the
immediate independence of the islands.
Individual Americans assert that the
! flag will never be hauled down in the
| Philippines but their word counts for
little with the Filipinos, in view of
the repeated assurances from the gov
crnment and continual agitation by the
opposition party leaders.
Therefore, on the tongue of the Fill
pino, no matter what doubts may
linger in his brain, there is but one
question concerning independence, and
| that question is: When? The Ameri-
cans said 1t should be when the Fill
pinos were fit for popular self-govern-
ment. The Filipino of the educated and
political class neglected to put proper
stress on the word popular" in that
phrase. Therefore the time came when
he approached the Americans, presented
a list of "iustrados" which proved that
there were twice as many illustrious
and educated Filipnos as there were
officers in the government so that
| there would he two full sets OF OIL
| ficers They represented that the edu-
Gated ruling class made up 10 per cent
of the population, and that the 80 per
cent of subject and working classes
was about the right proportion for
prosperous republic.
The 'ilustrados" were not little
shocked when the Americans pointed
out the fact that popular selfgovern-
ment" meant selfgovernment by the
whole people. not by 10 per cent
class. They were told that they must
wait until 'prc -tically the entire popu-
latlon was educated up to the point of
being able to take an intelligent in
terest in the government. This, in the
language of Mr.. Taft cannot be ac-
complished in one generation.
Thereupon the politicians were dis
| appointed and began 20 murmur. In
| dependence" according to their no.
we are permitted to run things 'our
| own way. If we must consult the
wishes of all the common people, what
is the use?"
At the same time the common people
are going to school They are listen
ing for the first time to strange po-
litical doctrine. one never before
preached In the Orient-a doctrine
which declares that the government
| belongs to the whole people and should
exert its forces in their behalf and
for their upbuilding. not against them
and for their exploitation. They have
always looked upon the government as
an entity expressing robbery in its
sublmest form. The government took
taxes but gave them nothing in re-
turn. Now comes another government
which gives them schools which
teaches them to avoid disease, lightens
their taxes, which gives them roads
and enables them to obtain carts to
use on the roads. And the govern
ment is all the time telling them that
1t is working in their interest, for the
benefit of the poor tao" and that 1t no
longer belongs solely to the illustrious
few.
When the time comes that this great
common people, the 80 per cent, must
make the choice it may be found that
they are willing to retain practical
! independence under the American nag,
rather than to ask for a nominal inde-
pendence under their own flag, with the
10 per cent politicians at the helm.
In the meantime the agitation Tor
/ independence goes on. 1t isn't taken
seriously now, even by the agitators.
1 but it is a good campaign slogan. 1t
| appeals to natural pride aad patriot
ism. and it doesn't injure anything, as
the Nationalist majority in the as
sembly has found out. No one eX-
meets Immediate release from the
guiding strings of the American gov
ernment, but at the same time no one
knows how long 1t will be before
political upheaval in Washington
might cast the Philippines adrift.
Therefore, it behooves the practicai
politician to be up and talking so that
when independence does come he Will
be in line for perferment and power.
i The self-seeking politician of the
i Philippines, bubbling over with senti-
! ment and having little practical COM
mon sense trained in politics in the de-
! cadent Spanish school. identifying pow
er and corruption, office and graft-this
politician does not represent the people
| Of the islands. Until the time comes
when the people at large have brought
up leaders from among themselves, the
| Gift of political independence would
be the worst possible thing that the
| United states COulu uO lOl lliS L AiPAiiN'''
IT is that the Pacific ocean must be
an American ocean, that it will be
either American or Japanese and that
the only way to keep 1t from being
Japanese is to make 1t American. To
that end he believes 1t necessary to
continue to occupy the Philippines, to
fortify and to prepare to defend the
islands, to maintain adequate naval
bases in the Philippines to support the
largest fleet in Pacific waters-that is
an American Pacific fleet little larger
than the entire japanese navy.
IT isn't that anybody expects war
with Japan, but rather 1t is a plan to
| nrevent a. possible collision with that
| island empire of the Pacific. The fight
for the supremacy of the Atlantic
! lasted many years and cost much blood
and treasure-the struggle for the mas
| tery of the Pacific is next on the pro-
| gram of world movements. In this
| later and more civilized age it may be
| settled without recourse to war, but as
long as the nations continue to build
ships and equip armies every nation
must be prepared for the worst.
| In the event of great struggle in
| the Pacific, either commercial or mill
| tary, the possession of the Philippines
properly fortified and prepared as
naval base would be an asset Of great
strength to the United States. This is
| the opinion of wise men of affairs de-