Evening star., 1915-01-02
NOTYET TCAPABLEOF
SELF-GOvERNMENT
Former President Taft 0p-
poses the Grant of More
Power to the Fi|ipinos.
SAYS PENDING MEASURE
WOULD STIR UP TROUBLE
Disavows Any Intention of Posing
as a Military Expert at Hearing
of Senate Committee.


In emphatic and vigorous terms, for
mer President Taft today told the Sen
ate committee on the Philippines that
the Eilipinos are not yet capable OF
elf-government. He opposed and crit
icised in detail the administration Dill
to extend further governmental powers
to the Filipino people, declaring that
mo measure could be framed better
calculated to stir up trouble in the
Philippines" He declared that the ab1l-
ity for self-government could not be
forced upon or given to people, but
must be acquired.
The Filipino people do not under
stand republican self-government IN
the sense that we know it, said the
former President.
What would be the result If they
were given self-government at once:
asked Chairman Hitchcock.
Quotes Filipino Opinion.
"a Filipino in whom ! have great
confidence" said Mr.. Taft, said to me,
Your steamers would not be around
Corregidor Island before the throat
cutting would begin and I verify be-
lieve that is true. We find the same
condition in Mexico. The man who
loses a political fight has his head for
a forfeit. That's what developed when
Aguinaldo was in power
"Pm not criticising," continued Mr..
Taft, pounding the table before him.
but I'm describing an actual condi-
ton that exists there. I'd be glad to
have the United States get out of the
Philippines. I have 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.
Foresees Mexican Repetition.
If you give these people independ-
ence, now or by 1920, you will have
this terrible situation deevlop. Either
Diaz would arise in the Philippines
Or they would get into condition that
caused the fall of Diaz in Mexico"
The former President, while disavow-
ing any intention of posing as mill
tary' expert. said in answer to ques-
tions, that our obligation to defend the
Philippines might be source of
weakness in timesof war
But" he continued, II 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
naval base as source of weakness"
No japanese Designs on Islands.
MIR. Taft declared that in his opinion
Japan had no desire to take the Philip
pines away from this country.
II twice visited Japan and conferred
with the authorities on that very
point he continued, "and it is my
opinion that their experiences in For
mosa have been quite enough in that
direction" 'f-
Neither Presidents Mckinley, Roose-
velt or he had contemplated turning
over the Philippine government to peo-
Pile before they were educated up to
handling it, Mr.. Taft said. ~ IllC.
II believe Mr.. Roosevelt still feels
that way, as l do he said. "Of course,
am not in Mr. Roosevelts confidence,
but I judge that is his position oa al
The committee laughed at this sally.
While the democratic platform prom
ised the pending resolution. Mr.. Taft
said, action at this time was not neces-
sary.
1.-The fulhliment of platform pledges
without regard to the good of the
country has not been the consistent
course up to this time" he said with
chuckle.
Didn't Want the Islands.
Mr.. Taft gave the committee a de-
tailed statement of his conception OF
the duty OF the United States toward
the Philippines and of his work "a
governor general of the islands and
later as Secretary of War and -Presi
dent.
when President Mckinley sent M.
to the Philippines said Mr.. Taft, Il
told him that / thought that we ought
not to be in the islands. He said to
me that we had the bear by the tail
and that we had to stay. But the idea
then was that we would get out just
as soon as we could. Our first pur-
pose in being in there is to get out.
This discussion, said the former
President, must depend good deaf
on what you mean by self-sovernment.
/ can do no better than quote from TIL.
President of the United States
Here Mr.. Taft read from one of Pres
ident Wilson's books a lengthy defini-
tion of self-government. 1t set forth
that self-government was mot a mere
form of institutions, but a form of
character, growing of a people to
political maturity.
Cannot Be Given Them.
I'VE cannot" said Mr.. Taft, give the
Philippines self-goverEment, because it
cannot De given. we Cdlillot present
the Filipino people with Il character.
1t must be acquired. One way to ac
quire it is through hard knocks, as the
Anglo-Saxon race acquired it. When
we went to the Philippines we tried
to give it to them by maintaining u
constitutional form of government as
an object lesson and by educating the
people in the language of free institu
tions We tried to have the govern
ment participated in, but not controlled
BY the natives. You cannot make over
d people in one generation. Particularly
you cannot when that is a generation
of adults and Il vast majority of that
generation is woefully ignorant. 1t
cannot be done.
"C;entlemen, Pm at last in IL position
where 1 can say just what i think.
You have called Inc here, l did not ask
to come. and I'm going to tell you just
what l know about thihgs.
A Matter of Generations.
Now" he continued, what time do l
think will be necessary to train the
Filipinos for self-sovernmcnt? The
time that shall give to those people an
opportunity to learn English so that
they shall be an English-speaking peo-
IL, That will. take more than ono