The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-04-15
PHILIPPINE POLICY
HELD DETRIMENTAL

That the policy of the United States
government in Philippines 10 proving
detrimental to the Islands and is hands
cial advancement there, is the state
ment of John X. Edgar, who has been
prominent in business in the Islands
for the past l6 years, and who with
Thornton Q. Morrow is now looking
over the Hood River valley with view
to locating. Mr.. Edgar met M. M. Hill
and A. ID. Moe when they and their
wives were in the Philippines last win
ter on the Shriners' Oriental cruise.
He and Mr.. Morrow have been visiting
the families of both while here.
Mr.. Edgar says that the new gov
ernor, Francis b. Harrison, who was
appointed by the Wilson administration
had removed large number of Anleri-
cans from official positions and had put
natives in their places.
''The Washington government, in the
guise of wanting to give the natives q
square deal has brought things to such
a situation that the government of the
Islands has been turned over to the ma
tives," says MIR. Edgar.
These natives, In large number of
cases, are incompetent or rascals. and
the result has been that the progress
of the country has received a check.
1t has also had the result of making
the natives openly insolent to the
whites, so that conditions, from the
standpoint of the American residents
of the Islands. are particularly disa-
greeable.
Mr.. Edgar says that many Of the
Americans are leaving because of the
conditions brought about by the policy
of the government. Many others, he
says, are unable to leave, having lost
their property as the result of the bust
ness depression in the Islands.
MIR. Edgar is of the opinion that the
natives of the Philippine Islands are
not ready for self government and
never will be.
''The natives are unprogressive and
have no initiative" he says. "ln ad-
dtion. they are indolent and the large
majority of them do not know what
liberty is and do not care. They are
incapable of legislation. either for
themselves or for the good of the coun-
try"
Illustrating the lack of business abil.
ity, of the natives, Mr.. Edgar says
that 80 per cent of the revenues of the
country were paid by the Chinese in
business there and only 10 per cent by
the natives. The amount paid by other
nationalities. he says, is negligible.
Mr.. Edgar says that the United
States should govern the Islands with
firm, Just hand, as the natives are
only fitted for paternal system of
government.
"If the present policy is continued" :"
, he says. "it would be better for this
/ country to give up all claim to the
/ Philippines and turn the Islands over
to the natives or to some other power.
MIR. Edgar says that the Islands are
J menace to this country under present
} conditions, in that they might involve
the United States in war. He says,
! however, that there is undeveloped
! wealth there which would amply pay
) the government for the building of a
fleet to maintain in those waters.
Mr.. Edgar went to the Philippines
with one of the Missouri companies
2 during the war. He has a wife and
, two children at Manila and will send
: for them as soon as he gets established
here.
: MIR. Morrow had been in the Islands
e only few months when he left to ae-
, company Mr.. Edgar to the States. He
+ is from West Virginia.
e Both men have seen good part OF
n the world, yet they are enthusiastic
J. over the Hood River valley and both
declare that they have never seen more
appealing scenery.