The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-02
WANTS ISLANDS ID
 BE INDEPENDENT Philippine Commissioner Outlines His Plans CONGRESS FAYORS IT Only Question Is How the Great Project Shall Be Accomplished.
 Burden to United
 States
By JONATHAN WINFIELD


 sioners of the Philippine Islands, who exercises in the House of Representatives rights that are vested in territorial dele gates, is persistent in his demand that Congress free the Filipino people. 1 A personal canvass of the members of the House and senators has convinced him that the majority favor Philippine independence. Few, however, have given the slightest thought as to how this end is to be accomplished.
 The sentiment of the House and Senate, as Commissioner Quezon finds it, is that the islands will be a menace to this na- tion in the event of war, and are today gigantic and unwarranted expense He has therefore after careful study, and knowing that Congress moves slowly, mapped out two legislative programmes. His programmes would give what the Filipino people unanimously demand-in- dependence.
 Discussing his plans for this legisla- ton he said today that there are two ways of putting an end to the sovereignty of the United States over the Philippine Islands.
 "One is to give the Philippines in- dependence as soon as stable gov ernment has been organized" he eX- plained This can be accomplished by enacting legislation which shall pro- vide that within two years from the passage of the act tue Filipino people shall elect delegates to a convention ] which shall draft q constitution for | | stitution for the new republic has been adopted by the Filipino people, they shall elect their officials. When these officials have been elected and duly i qualified the sovereignty of the United States over the islands shall be given into the hands of the Filpinos and the independence of the new govern ment recognized
 This Is the way which will best suit the Filipino people" Commissioner l Quezon explained. 'The other way" he added, lis the gradual transfer of the government to the Filipino. To carry this out legislation will have l to be enacted that will provide that l 1t is the purpose of the United States to give the Filipinos their independence within eight years. A lesser period would be more acceptable to the Ell ipino people. After the passage of the act the Filipino people shall elect the upper house of the Philippine legisla- ture. They now elect and control the lower house and their conduct in their half of the lawmaking under the Amer | ican administration has been most cred table. With the upper house they will have Immediately the whole legislative machinery in their hands.
 Two years after the passage of the act, during which the Filipinos have been running the legislative machinery, there shall be held a convention to frame a constitution for the republic and after It's adoption by the people the power of all the American secre- | taries, now in charge of the differer t departments of the islands government. shall cease. and they shall be succeeded by Fillpinos. duly elected by the peo- pie
 Two years later the Filipinos shall have the right to elect the chief exec utive of the. republic. For the next two years there shall remain in the islands an American known as com | missioner of the United States to the Philippine republic" who shall be an adviser to the President. At the end of this period full and absolute au- thority over the Philippines shall be given to the FilipInoi people by the United States.
 Both of these plans include the neu- tralization of the Philippin republic by an international agreement entered in by the United States on behalf of the republic with the powers. When the F'ilipinos are given their independence they would like to have a country ex- empt from the strifes of nations and neutral territory for all the world. as Switzerland is neutral in Europe.
 "One of these plans is the only sou- tion of the Philippine problem that will l do justice to the Filipino people and honor to the United States. The world knows that the Filipinos helped the American troops defeat the Spaniards in the Philippines, because they were led to believe, and did believe, that the United States would not hold the Philippine | archipelago, in subjection, but would free and help the Filipinos to establish an in- ! dependent government.
 1 Tt Is, therefore. a moral duty of the | United States to the Filpinos to give | them their own government. and assure them the free enjoyment of their inde- l pendenee, by means of an International agreement. That the time is ripe for the liberty of the Filipinos and for the neu- tralization of the islands, is evident. | During 13 years of American occupation the Filipinos have shown that they are progressive, civilized. law-abiding, liberty ! loving people, and the sentiment of the civilized world in favor of peace is so strong that it will be an easy matter for the United States to get the powers to agree to neutralize the Philippine Islands.
 Opposition to consideration of any leg islation looking to Philippine independ- l ence, even such law as would give | assurances to the F'iipinos that they i would get their independence at the end 1 of designated term of years, comes only | from the administration. President Taft and his advisors declare that the work of fitting the Fiipinos for self-govern- | ment has not progressed far enough. He has as q sympathetic audience only the American employees of the island gov ernment, men generally of republican faith who are drawing salaries in the Orient that are triple and sometimes | four times greater than their highest earning capacity here. These employees g, GOO. coo for maintaining the island gov ernment, an estimated expense owing to the inability If Congress to find out just what the islands now and have cost the taxpayers of the United States. have warm supporters in army officers. The retention of the islands means more sol diers and more soldiers mean more of- fcers and many details for these officers which are accompanied by greater | authority and, what is much more impor- | tant to them greater pay.
 Controverting President Taft's ex- pressed belief that the Filpinos have to 1 be schooled a much longer time before | their country is turned over to them, 1 is President Schurmann of Cornell uni versty, a man fitted to weigh and. dis ! sect the mental fitness of nation. He studied the -Filpinos in the Philippines, and declares that they are 50 years ad- vanced over the Cubans. who have fared