New-York tribune., 1913-11-20

ment Of free trade with the United States
had been enormous said the ex-Presidsnt.
Mr.. Taft pointed out the high character
OF the American government In the Phil
! ippines saving:
LAS | was there not quite four years,
and only had personally . TO do with the
initiation of the government, think can
speak without a lack OF modesty and say
that the colonial work of the American
government in the Philippines is quite as
remarkable as that of Lord Cromer in
Egypt, when the conditions under which
we were working were considered and
when the opposition which we had at
home from a great political party is given
its due effect
| Now, what are we TO do? Are we 10
let these islands go and turn them over TO
an oligarchy Of eloquent and attractive
orators. who really believe in aristocracy.
and who have no real conception OF civil
and individual liberty and certainly no
| capacity by training and education Tor
successful popular government? The min
ute the strong background Of powerful
government is withdrawn the difference
are mut!ncus. ana have no sympathy with
the Filipinos and have a racial hatred for
them, will at once develop. The Moros
| have notified US that they will not stand
| Filipino government and the Filipnos say
| they cannot take over the Islands unless
they take over all of them.
Mistake to Get Out. He Says.
| For us to leave the islands and 10
| guarantee to the nations OF the world. In
exchange for their treaties Of neutrality
with respect to the islands. that law and
order will be preserved and that there Will
| be no civil commotion In which law ana
| order cannot be maintained. would be an
| evidence Of lack Of sanity that / cannot
| think the American people would ever
display. II they should, II would not be
wear before We would have TO go back
| into the island in order TO maintain the
peace that We had guaranteed TO the
| world.
IT am out of politics ] have no desire
but the success Of this administration. or
course. I have differed with II in respect to
| the tariff and have prophesied that the
changes now made would disturb business,
but would far rather have my prophecies
prove wrong than have hard times and the
suffering that may follow them. am no
calamity howler or seeker with the hope
that my party may climb into power over
the destruction OF business or any other
| disaster 20 the people.
| therefore, | think | can come to this
question Of the Philippines with an Impair
| tial judgment, with very considerable
knowledge and experience and In no
spirit Of carping criticism. / concede an
! intense personal interest in the subject,
for one does not give thirteen Of the best
| years Of his life to the working out of 80
! interesting n human and governmental
| problem as this without having a personal
] interest. II concerns the welfare Of g.
0cJ.0D0 people, and the fame OF ones coun-
| try before the world is conspicuously in
volved in its solution.
But do not care who has the credit
Of doing the thing which has TO be done
| in those islands.
THE politics of this country have not
the slightest influence upon me in this
matter. | feel that know so much more
about the profile and its difficulties than
| ton that | have a duty and a right 10
venture to call their attention 10 some Of
the dangers that beset them. and to some
Of the mistakes that have been made, II
reports that have come from Manila as
to what is being done there are authentic
May Have Yielded Too Much.
"As I have said. I think the only crit-
cism that can be made of our government
| in the Philippines has been that possibly
! we have given them too much increase in
their control. II was wise and right TO
give them a partial autonomy in order
| that they might be educated I'm the prob
| lens of government and in the problems
! of popular control, but the gift of one
| power only feeds desire for other in
| creases and never satses. Therefore our
| friends in this administration will find
that while for a time there will be quiet
satisfaction in the supposed increase of
power that has come from enlarging the
number Of Filipinos In the commission
who constitute the second chamber in the
government, there will be an ultimate de-
| mand for an election Of that commission,
| and soon will come the demand for def
mite time for announcing when independ-
| ence is to be had.
Upon the arrival Of Mr.. Harrison in
Manila he called for the immediate resig
nation of the heads of six or seven OF
some of the most important bureau chiefs
| in the islands, and announced his inten-
| ton of appointing Filipinos to some OF
these places. and Americans from the
United States TO others. Among these
bureaus are that Of Customs. Public
Lands, Internal Revenue and Health.
These are bureaus that require for their
proper administration thorough knowl-
edge OF the islands and technical
| familiarity with especial statutes and bu-
| reau regulations. l sincerely hope that
| this sweeping removal Of most competent
| officers is not the result OF tendency
toward the spoils system
"Of course, these removals by Mr. Har-
rison, with a suggestion that some Fill
| pinos are TO be appointed to the va
cAncies. will be POPULAR among the Fill