Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-23
LIPINOS NOT
. YET READY TO
GOVERN SELVES

d.
That the new policies put in force
in the Philippines by Gov.-gen. Francis
Burton Harrison are meeting with al
nest universal condemnation among
; the American residents OF the islands,
and that, in his opinion, II would be
nothing short of crime to allow the
| Filipinos to: govern themselves, was
the gist Of a statement made this
lmorning by F. e. Muzzy. a retired cap
italist # Springfield. Mass. who ar
rived in Honolulu yesterday in the
Siberia. On a short visit Mr. Muzzy
has spent the past several months in
the Orient. during which time he Wis
tied the Philippines and made ain ex-
haustivc investigation of conditions
there.
Not more than one-tenth of the
/ Filip:nos know what self-goyernment
means, ;" he said. Business is at a
standstill in the Philippines at the
present time owing to the talk of in
dependence which has floated over
from the United States. The islands
are not dependent upon the United
States but are self-supporting. They
are an enormous source of revenue to
Americas mercantile interests on ac-
count Of the great business which has
developed among the merchants DUR
ing the past Is years | consider it
nothing short of a crime to turn the
governnent over to the Filipinos. As
to the decrease in business activity,
this depression Is attributed to the re-
ports received from the United States
encouraging the belief that independ-
ence for the islands is near at hand
business men everywhere are COM
planning Of conditions in the Philip
pines and even the insular government
is feeling the brunt of depression.
"A large majority of the Filipinos
who are able to pass on the question
of independence and 80 per cent of
the business men do net want it. It
is always said that the United States
does not want colonies, but it has on
its hands now 100000 people whom it
is honor bound to protect as they are
a dependent people and not one-tentb
of them know what self-government
means. To turn them loose in the i'm
mediately flture would mean a repe
titicn of the present Mexican situa-
ton. Manila residents say this would
please japan for Japan would gladly
seize the islands and, because of their
wonderful undeveloped resources
could float large quantities of bonds
with which to replenish her depleted
treasury.
Millions of dollars are waiting for
investment in the Philippines if the
country could be assured of a stable
government for some time to come,
pendence is granted their capital will
have no security. One large importer
said TO me that there were only two
nationalities who had any reason to
invest dollar in the Philippines, the
Englishman, because England protect
cd her subjects, and tho Spaniards be-
cause Spain had known the Philip
pines for 300 years.
Giving the Filipinos their indepen-
dence now is just as reasonable as it
would have been to give the Indians
all the territory West of the Missis-
sippi and turn them adrift, say 200
years after our forefathers landed on
Plymouth Rock Or it would have
been equally reasonable to give the
negroes all the ruling power south of
the Mason and Dixon line Immediate
ly after the Civil War. The Fflipinos
need today, not advice, but manage
ment and control such as has been
given to them for the past Is years.
On the whole they are satisfied with
this and would continue to be so Il
not stirred up by political agitators
whose only object is to gain political
honors. In the United States few FIJI
ipinos are seen and most of these arr
Of the educated class and are capable
Of self-goyernment, but what of the
other 100000?
did not hear anyone speak of
Governor Harrison personally but with
respect. but his policies were pniver-
sally condemned. In fact of the hun
dreds / talked with only two or three
favored his policies and all of these
were political appointees subject to
lis dismissal. | am not talking from
any personal interest as | am net in
terested in the Philippines either fl
nancially or politically, nor have / any
relatives or intimate friends so inter.
ested. Neither do pose as an author
ity on Philippine conditions hut my
stay there fully convinced me that the
Philippine policy of the present adj
ministration is very bad for the Phil
iTpinnS ,, s.#s