The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-02
TAFT AGAINST IT.
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loses a political fight has his head for
| forfeit. That's what developed when
AguinaldO was in power.
I'm describing an actual condition
that exists there. I'd be glad to have
the United States get out of the Phil
ippines and I have q great regard for
the poor people out there. They don't
like me because I've told them the
truth. But the trouble with a great
many people is that they don't like to
be told the truth. If you give these
people independence, now or by 1870,
you will have this terrible situation
develop. Either a Diaz would arise
in the Philippines or they would get
into a condition that caused the fall
Of Diaz in Mexico"
| The former president. while dis
| avowing any intention of speaking as
a military expert, said in answer to
questions. that the obligation of the
United States to defend the Philip
pines might be "a source OF weakness
in time of war"
But" he continued, ct do not be-
| lieve that any of the nations now en-
gagged in the European war would look
| on the possession of the Philippines as
a naval base as a source of weakness.
Japan Doesn't Want Them.
Mr. Taft declared that in his opin-
| len. Japan had TO desire to take the
Philippines.
~ twice visited Japan and conferred
with Ike authorities on that very
point" he continued, and it's my
opinion that their experiences in For
mosa have been quite enough In that
direction"
Neither Presidents Mckinley,
Roosevelt or himself had contemplate
ed turning over the Philippine govern
ment to the people before they were
educated up to handling it, Mr.. Taft
said.
II believe Mr.. Roosevelt still feels
that way, as I do" he said. "Of
course, I am not in Mr.. Roosevelt's
confidence, but judge that is his po-
sition.'
While the Democratic platform
promised self government to the is
lands, Mr.. Taft S ID, action at this
time was not necessary.
1.-The fulfillment of platform pledges
without regard to the good OF the
country has not been the consistent
course up to this time" he said.
when President Mckinley sent me
to the Philippines" said Mr.. Taft, II
told him I thought we ought not to be
in the islands. He said to me that we
had the bear by the tall and had to
stay. But the idea then was that we
would get out just as soon as we could.
This discussion" said the former
president. must depend a good deal
on what you mean by self govern
ment. 1 can do no better than quote
from the president of the United
States" Here Mr.. Taft read from one
of President Wilson's books a lengthy
definition of self government. 1t set
forth that self government was mot
a mere form of institutions, but a
form OF character, a growing of a
people to political maturity"
Democrat Promises.
I'VE cannot said Mr.. Taft, "give
the Philippines self-government be-
cause 1t cannot be gwen. We cannot
present the Filipino people with q
character. 1t must be acquired. One
way to acquire it is through hard
knocks, as the AnglO-Saxon race ac-
| quired it. 49,
You cannot make over q people in
not when that is a generation of adults
and vast majority of that generation
is woefully ignorant. 1t cannot be
done. et$ ~
Gentlemen, I'm at last in a posi-
ton where can say just what I think.
You have called me here; I did not
ask to come; and I am going to tell
you just what I know about things.
Now" he continued, what time do
think will be necessary to train the
Filipinos for self government? The
time that shall give to those people an
opportunity to learn English so that
they shall be an English speaking peo-
pie. That will take more than one
generation and probably more than
two, if you count thirty years as a gen.
Grafton. You can't educate all of the
people-you haven't got the money.
Democratic promise of Philippine
Independence" said Mr.. Taft, has
been the great obstacle in our own
work over there. Even now it is
causing trouble. This man Ricarte.
who is charged with fomenting the
| present disturbance, is a professional
revolutionalist, come down in my time
from the mountains. He lives in Hong
Kong on funds he collects for revol-
utionist purposes in the islands. This
present outbreak is the result un-
doubtedly of his agitation in trying to
justify his collections. He probably
argued that Democrats in the United
States promised independence at a fix
ed time; that the time has been passed
and that the promise has been brok-
en-"