Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-05
PHILIPPINE BILL.
PASSED SENATE;
DEMOS LINE UP
Measure Giving Islanders Self-Gov'
ernment With String Attached
Adopted After Hitchcock
Motion Beaten.
SIX REPUBLICANS FOR IT
Will Go to House With Approval of
President and Will be Pressed
to the Front.
IN NORRIS SPEECH

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-The Phil
ippine bill, which would extend to
the islands greater degree OF self
government and would authorize the
president to grant them absolute in
dependence within four years, passed
the senate tonight, so to "a. Various
democratic senators led by Chairman
Stone of the foreign relations COM
mittee, tried unsuccessfully to Sc
cure amendment of certain features
of the independence clause, but in
tn end the democrats, Joined by six
progressive republicans, voted solid
ly for the measure.
1t is understood the bill will go TO the
house with the backing OF President Will
son and will be preceded for early pas
rage There he's been little indication
of what action the house will take, but
administration leaders tonight seemed
confident that the bill. including the in
dependence feature, which democratio
senators declare squares 1t with the Balti-
more platform. would have the approval
of the house democratic majority
" Norris supports Bill.
The republican senator's who voted for
the bill were: Boraif. Clapp. Kenyon, La
toilette, Norris and Works. BY over
whelming majorities the senate had re-
fused to modify the Clarke amendment,
adopted several days ago. which con-
tains the independence provision and also
gives the president authority to extend or
suA ~ 0f
years, IL he should find conditions in the
island unfavorabie. The time would be
extended, however. only until an incom-
ing congress could consider the subject
senator strong declared the bill was in
reality not an independence measure at
all, because OF the extension provision.
and offered an amendment to eliminate
it, but his proposal was voted down. 90
TO II. Senator Hitchcock. chairman OF
the Philippine committee. sought to
amend the bill by extending independence
within four years, on condieion that the
PEOPLE and legislature of the Philippine
should ratffy constitution. This was re-
jected s. TO M
what stone Says.
'T am making last appeal for what
think is good faith ana just treatment OF
the Philippines,' said Senator Stone in
urging his amendment. IT am ururtD-
tionabIy and Internationally in favor Of
carrying out the pledge Of the democratic
party by relinquishing control over the
Philippine Islands completely. am not
in favor OF conferring Independence with
a string to it. I oppose any provision
which will make It possible for a future
president of the United States to send
!. this issue back to congress. We are, In
Nbis bill, not offering Independence In
fact, but merely a suggestion OF It to
some future president
Senator Norris, in opposing q provision
in the bill empowering the president to
retain naval bases in the Philippines, de-
clared President Wilson had been con-
verted from a man of peace to mill
tarist.
''The president" said Senator Norris,
recently announced program of pre-
paredness contrary to views he held a
year ago, and in the last few days he
has changed his mind on that. Now he
says he Is in favor OF the United States
having the largest navy in the world. II
that Is his idea, he will want to retain
not only one but a dozen naval stations
in the philippines"
smith Scores Demos.
Senator William Alden Smith scored
the democrats for their determination to
give up the Philippines, and declared the
American people did not wish to see the
American flag over the islands hauled
down
This action is an unjustifiable surren-
CONTINUED on Page Two, Column TNwO)