The Washington times., 1911-03-13
HOUSE WILL PROBE
PHILIPPINE CHARGES
Nav Even Go So Far AS to
Vote for independence
of Islands.
DRAFTING MOTION TO
AMEND LAND LAWS
Democrats on Investigating Com
mittee Not Satisfied With
Work Done.

Confronted with such tasks as tarlf1
revision, investigation ~of the Govern
ment departments, and the approval ol
Canadian reciprocity, the Democratic
House, during the extra session, may in
addition be called upon TO voice its at
titude toward the government OF the
PHILIPPINES and Philippine independence.
And If the question is pat Squarely
before the House, all sorts OF conpllCa-
tions are likely to enSHe, for the general
Democratic attitude is that the United
States may well rid itself of the Philip
pines.
The question Of Philippine independ-
cnCe, however, will be incidental, for a
time, to an investigation of the govern
ment of the islands. 1t may be said,
upon good authority, that the Demo-
cratic House will not be satisfied with
the recent report of the Committee on
lpsular Affairs, which applied a coat
of whitewaSh to certain public officials
In the Philippines who had been charged
with the manipulation and illegal sales
of the public lands Of the islands.
Admits Laws Ambiguous.
The majority report of the commit
tee set forth no Irregularities in the
administration of the public lands,
but ii did admit that the Philippine
land laws were rather conflicting and
ambiguous. The Democrats who
signed tn" minority report did not
take such liberal views of the manner
In which large tracts of public and
friar lands had been sold to individ-
uals and corporations. and it is
Known that as soon as the Demo
Gratis assume control of the House
another investigation is to begin.
According to some of the Demo
cratic members of the committee the
INVESTIGATION just closed and the re-
port filed tn" day before Congress
adjourned, has merely scratched the
a n ~ ri Fpi,
it in the islands.
The admission of the majority OF
the committee as to the ambiguity of
~" Philinpine landl laws. will afford
the opportunity to insist upon a fur
ther probe of the charges originally
made by hini. and which were not ap-
proved by the majority of the Insular
Nhalrs Committee. as constituted
during the past session of Congress-
Martin Drafting Resolutions.
Mr.. Martin is now at work on a
series of resolutions seeking to amend
the Philippine laws so that no loom
hole will exist through which trans
fers OF vast tracts of sugar lands
can be made to representatives of large
corporations or the Sugar trust.
II there should be presented to a
Democratic House the general sub
JeCt of the government of the PbiliD-
pines, II is difficult to forecast at
What point the investigation will stop
Many OF the Democratic leaders have
never looked with favor upon the re-
tentlOn OF the islands by the United
states. incidentally, when the Philip
pine question was not the subject
matter undeE discussion, Democrats I
have taken occasion in the past toI
denounce the acquisition of the is
lands and have characterized the en-
tire performance as one predicatpd
upon extravaganza and lack of ma
tlOnal common sense
lf some diSCOntentcd Democrat
eventually asks for a vote on Phflip-
pine independence the House is liable
to raise an intereSting situation at
least.
Filipinos Demand Independence.
The Filipinos themselves are continu-
ally crying for independence, and some
of the American officials of the insuIar
government would welcome the con-
because II would clarity the political
atmosphere of the islands The con-
stant agitation of independence propa-
Gandas, and the false promises of those
elected to office on independence plat
forms, say the American officials. has !
kept the islands in a turmoil during
every campaign. settlement of the
question one way or the other point |
out these officials. would go a long way
toward restoring political and COM
mercial calm.
And it would not be surprising to see
the Democratic House tackle the big |
problem, along with its investigation of |
the administration OF the islands.