Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-16
A DECIDED SETBACK
FOR FILIPINO PEOPLE
Former Gov. Gen. w. Cameron
Forbes of the Philippines Sees
Danger for Filipino Indepen-
dence in the Proposed Demo-
cratic Legislation

Mohonk Lake, N. Y, Oct. 16.-W.
Cameron Forbes, formerly governor
general of the Philippines. expressed
belief today at the Lake Mohonk Con-
ference on the Indians and Other De-
pendent Peoples, that recent changes
in our Philippine policy had rather
postponed than accelerated the time
when the islands will have a really
stable government and become fit for
independence. He said:
SIN looking upon the Philippine sit
uation and trying to analyZe the atti-
tude of the Republican party and the
Democratic party find that they seem
to be agreed upon the following prin-
ciples:
First: That our occupation and con-
troll of the islands is conducted for the
benefit of the Philippine people as a
whole, rather than in the interest of
any class of Filipinos, and not prima-
rally for the benefit of our own or any
other people but theirs.
Second: That it is not the intention
of the United States, nor consistent
with our policies, to retain an alien
people permanently under our domi-
nation against their own desires.
Third: That it has by force of cir
cumstances become the duty of the
United States to exercise control over
the islands until such time as it is
proven that a stable government can
be established, at which time such
control should terminate.
80 the real question between the
parties may very well simmer down
to a definition of the word stable
There seem to be two schools of
thought amongst students of the mat
ter of our control of dependencies. The
first believes in establishing and MAIN
tanning the best form of government
possible over these peoples, allowing
them a supervised direction of the
lesser units of government, such as the
municipalities. townships, etc, and a
still more rigidly supervised direction
| of the larger units such as the prov
! inces and such bureaus and offices as
may safely he placed in the control of
the natives, and in filling the lower
positions wherever 1t can ne done ELI
cicntly with natives. Gradually thu
natives would come surging up from
beneath. 1t is the belief of this school,
to which l belong, that this policy con-
stantly adhered to will result in the
establishment of a stable government,
conducted principally by the natives,
very much quicker than any other way.
The second school seems to work
upon the theory that the only way for
people to learn to govern is by let
ting them do the governing them
selves: placing the important and re-
sponsible positions in their hands
whether at the time they are ready or
not, and letting them make their mis-
takes and learn by them. The ad-
herents of this policy contend that the
people win be more contented if gov
erned by their own people even though
/ the government is not of the best, and
t that the officers will learn competence
by experience, and that the people will
become strong through blows and
knocks.
There is much that can be said in
! favor of both schools. | regret, how
ever, that in the case of the Philip
| pine Islands, which with Cuba, Porto
Rico, and to 6. lesser degree, Panama,
are cases in point-the merit of the
! first policy inaugurated has not been
given a little longer time to be tried
out.
Il have never advocated permanent
retention of the islands by the United
States, against the will of the Filipino
people, although | am not at all sure
that some permanent utilization would
not be best for both countries; neither
am l sure that it would. My position
outlined at the time took up the reins
of government, and constantly ad-
hered to in every public utterance that
l have made from that time to this, has
been a very simple one. l have said
and say now that do not know what
political relationship will prove to be
wisest for both countries to assume at
any given time in the future; that,
without entering into the political ca
pacity of the Filipinos for self-gov-
eminent, they are not economically fit
to maintain a separate government be-
cause they cannot maintain an army
and navy and pay the expenses of
their own DEVELOPMENT from the slen :
der revenues and need outside assist
ance in order to protect them from
being swallowed up by other countries.
Even before the utter worthlessness
of international agreements of neu-
trality had been demonstrated by re-
cent events in Europe. have ridiculed
the idea of substituting a silly scrap