New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-05
Ex-Governor General of Philip
pines Says Representative
JoneS'S Charges Were
False and Malicious.
CALLED SOREHEADS' WORK
American Administration OF
Islands Receives Strong De-
fence-Regret Expressed
That There Is No
Redress.
IFrom The Tribune BureAu. ]

House, w. Cameron Forbes. who re-
Gently resigned as Governor General or
the Philippines. bitterly denies the
charges made against him and other
American officials in the Islands by
Representative Jones, Of Virginia, in
speeches in the House.
Mr.. Forbes asserts that the Jones at
tack is malicious" and that its All
thor has been a credulous listener 10
"soreheads" with a grievance against
| American officials of the ISLANDS. lie
refers scathingly 10 the fact that
member of Congress cannot be held ac-
countable for words spoken on the
floor and that "the courts are not
available for redress TO those whom he
may slander."
In his speeches Mr.. Jones, chairman
of the House Insular Affairs Commit
tee, denounced the American govern
ment of the Fiipinos as IAN oligarchy
Of the most intolerable, despotic and
unrestricted character" He accused
. Governor General Forbes and his as
, sociates on the commission of being
sxtravagant; alleged that the Ameri-
can officials maintained Baguio as
( pleasure resort solely for their use ana
at the expense or the government. and
/ charged that American officials had
! been guilty OF grating under the pro-
| lection Of the Governor General
Denies Every Allegation.
The former Governor General angr!ly
denies each and every allegation. lie
prints at length extracts from the
Jones speeches and in an opposite COLI
umn a statement showing the true con-
| ditions.
! In part Mr.. Forbes's Reply to
( Jones" reads;
I "In Mr.. Jones's speeches he has ira
duced me and my associates in the
J government Of the Philippines. Those
! speeches. so far as they refer 10 the III
sular administration. contain few ac-
= curate statements, much suppression OF
the true, much suggestion of the false
and not little outright untruth.
II charge that a member OF Con-
gress who, having the means Of know
ing the truth, maliciously or recklcssly
ISLANDERS American public servants is
unfit TO represent the State Of Virginia.
| greatly mistake the temper Of the
American people II they knowing the
facts. do not rebuke an unwarranted
attack upon the honor Of the Philip
nine government, which is. before the
world. the honor Of the American ma
ton.
Consider now the documents which
Mr.. Jones has printed in support Of his
! speech and to which he refers as au-
thorities. These are newspaper inter-
views OF Charles B. Elliott and Dr.
John r. McDill, and letters OF Charles
b. Elliott. l.. NJ. Southworth and Will
lam s. Lyon. Mr.. Elliott Is ex-Secre-
tary Of Commerce and Police; Presi-
dent Taft requested his resignation
upon my representation that his char
acter and services were unsatisfactory.
Mr.. Lyon was once an official OF the
Bureau Of Agriculture. Mr.. South
worth has been Prosecuting Attorney
Of the city of Manila; | thought best 10
disappoint him in his aspirations for
advancement, and he"has recently sIf-
fered further disappointment in his
ambition to serve on the Philippine
Commission or the Supreme Court or
& smewhere; DR.. John r. .IcDill Gas
been chief surgeon Of the Philippine
General Hospital and professor in the
Philippine Medical College; his separa-
ton from the service was not OF his
own volition. All these witnesses have
personal grievances and resentments
which affect their credibility.
Forbes Charges Malice.
"Mr. Jones has been willing and
credulous listener to these soreheads.
obviously his whole purpose has peen
TO discredit the Philippine government.
and I'm its furtherance he has accepted
and used anything injurious that Of
fered. testing his material not for
truth but for effect. His misrepre-
sentations are plainly malicious. for he
has made them either knowing the
truth or deliberately avoiding It's
knowledge
"I know that there are Americans
who believe with Mr.. Jones that, what
ever fate may befall the Filipinos, the
United States would be Justified. fOr
its own interests, In abandoning the
Philippine Islands and thus escaping a
responsibility. There are some. no
doubt who agree with him that the
Filipinos are entirely capable Of main
tanning, unaided by us. satisfactory
government But think he will have
scant success IN his effort TO persuade
hard headed Americans that they. who
lead the world in industrial enter
nrises. are incompetent to manage a
governmental enterprise. And / he
ueve that even those who support his
cause must condemn his effort TO ad-
vance II by an unpatriotic and unwar-
: ranted assault upon the good names of
{ the Americans who represent their
r country in the government of the Phil
ippine Islands"