Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-27
Philippine Body
Wrestles With Grave
Matters of State

Correspondence of The Associated Press,(
Manila, P. l., Jan. 30.-Laying the
foundations for the future govern
ment OF the Philippines, the new
Philippine congress has been wrest-
ling in the three months of its ex-
istence with various problems of or
ganization which have for their
fundamental basis the foundation OF
system of government like both
that of the United States and that
of Great Britain.
Out OF countless plans and sug-
gestions has now risen council OF
state soon to be named by Governor
General Harrison. The council of
state will include both the speaker
OF the house and the president Of the
senate-Sergio Osmena and Manuel
Quezon, respectively. Just what
other members it will include has not
been stated. 1t will probably include
also the secretaries of the executive
departments.
As originally planned these secre-
taries were to form cabinet. Under
the law organizing the new depart
ments, the secretaries and their as
sistants may be required to attend
sessions of either house OF congress
to aid in the discussion of any law
This gives the executive departments
regular Experimentation a
vote-in congress. Then the plan was
preached of naming as secretary oil
the interior, an office held over from
the old regime and consequently open
to member of congress, Speaker
Osmena. The Jones bill, passed by
the United States congress i'll 1915
specifically prohibits the naming OF
a member of congress to any Office he
has helped to create. This provision
barred the local congress from carry
ing out the British system to its logl'
cal conclusion.
But Speaker Osmena, after mature
deliberation, declined the appointment
as secretary of the interior. In OH
cial circles it was freely stated
though not verihed-that Osmens
would not accept a cabinet appoint
ment unless Quezon were also ele
waited to the cabinet. Politicians saw
in this a coming struggle for suprem
acy-friendly though it might be-be
tween these two men, the big Inquire:
of Philippine political life, today
Either Quezon declined a cabinet OF
fee or the provisions of the Jones bil
made such an appointment impos
sible. Whatever the truth of the mat
ter, Osmena's declination made tn
plan impossible. 1t had been hope'
TO make his position as secretary, o
the interior, who was also menl6e
of the lower house, analogous to tina
of the British premier.
The desire to secure an analogy Il
the British system, however, IS serve
bv the council of state. Whether thi
council of state will provide for
premier the future alone will tell. !
there is to be premier, 1t is declare
it must be Osmena, as he is not alon
speaker of the house, but presiden
OF the nationalist party, the FREEDOM
inant political group in the island:
Friends of Osmena state that he doe
not care TO be premier at time VINE
| Filipino control is not absolute. n
feels that the failure of his govern
ment might be brought about by cir
cumstances over which he had n
control. Yet he personally would b
held responsible and might jeopardiz
his entire life-work. He is not yee
40, and his career in Philippine 1T
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