The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-18
Governor General Harrison
Hints at Sympathy With In
dependence Demand
}. G. WHITE rs DIRECTOR
Advocates Further Delay as In
the Philippines Own
Interests.

Commission, now visiting this country.
at a luncheon given them yesterday by
the Merchants Association in the Hotel
Biltmore. Although Francis Burton
Harrison, Governor General. who also
spoke, did not say SO outright, he In
dicated by the tenor of his remarks
that he sympathized with the immediate
aspirations
The only word of direct opposition
came from James Gilbert White Of the
Merchants Association. who. while not
denying that the whole tendency Of the
American protectorate was toward even
tual independence. said he believed that
fullest independence would come by
waiting little while. He did not believe
that the islands are quite ready as yet
to cut loose from Uncle Sans guiding
strings. 81
Mr.. White outlined all that had been
done under the various administrat tons
OF the islands to improve the peoples
social and economic condition and said
that the great thing which shone from
this achievement was its complete d.
vorce from political Influenza
Practically Free Now.
THAT naturally leads UP to the one
question with which your commission Is
prominently occupied" he said, land
which one of the gentlemen sitting near
me asked me a moment ago. what was
my opinion as a business man OF the
matter of immediate or deferred inde-
peDdence for the Philippines.
IT told him that had met some IDEAL
ists-for example some of the cult In
Boston and some Of the people interested
in politics-who thought that there
ought to be immediate Independence, but
i have never met a business man who
thought that was for the best interests
of the Filipinos. This involves the ques-
ton of what is real freedom. Mexico
has Independence 30 far as disregarding
the rights Of other nations Is concerned,
but as far as the individual citizens.
their welfare, their home conditions,
their material prosperity. are concerned
Mexico Is far from being an idealistic OF
really free people.
$50 far as I understand Philippine
conditions you have to-day an inde-
pendence just as real as Canada or Aus
tralia. 1t seems to me that instead Of
demanding entire Independence 1t would
be possible to work out a relation such
as exists with the Sandwich Islands
Some of my friends think that you have
already the legal status of citizens Of
the United States. II that Is a fact It
would take q constitutional amendment
to give you entire freedom"
The large increase Of business in the
Philippines was outlined by Dion.sto
Jakosalem. Secretary. of Commerce and
Communications of the Philippines who
pointed out that the United States has
taken SO per cent. Of the foreign trade
of the islands, no other nation taking
more than 10 per cent. In the years of
the war the islands have profted greatly,
he said. although they have had their
share OF trouble.
Gov. Harrison said that the principle
Of self-determlnation and the local gov
eminent Of the Philippines had been
largely turned over TO the people at
present. In the last two and a half
years they nave had, he said. practical
autonomy. He said:
MY observation, to give Il to you
Just for what it is worth. because. per-
haps. I belong to that class which Mr..
White describes az idealists-in dis
GUESSING these questions, my observation
in the Philippine work has been that It
ls unwise and In my opinion wrong to
discourage the most natural impulse
in the heart of man, which is the Inn
pulse toward liberty. 1t is unwise be-
cause 1t produces discomfort. restric-
llOilh OF tnc natural ana MODEST I'M
pulses OF the human heart, and the
poorest kind OF policies on behalf Of
government officials. 1t strikes me that
it Is not only very much higher in ideal
but practically much more beneficial
to encourage man toward his independ-
enee. l do not know what any one
OF you would think. but i would think
very little Of the Filipinos II they did
not want their independence. I would
not admire than and be as fond of
them as I am unless they did express
that feeling as manfully as they have
done.
"They have acted with the greatest
moderation and the greatest seIf-re-
straint. and with the greatest respect for
the American flag. During the war the
talk of independence which has been the
subject of discourse by every school
boy, who arose on every occasion when
he was given chance for many years
past, was stilled. 1t was not because
the people had lost interest in indie
pendence, but 1t was because the
Filipino people thought II was not re-
spectful to the United States to raise
the question Of independence at a time
when the United States was engaged
in. the greatest struggle in history"
Errors Are Inevitable.
Mr.. Harrison said that the argumen,
that there might be factional dis
turbances had never appealed to him.
because there have been fractional dis
turbances in every young country worthy
of Independence
They have got to take their chance
Every independent person has. They
will commit errors We have, too
Those errors may be of serious dis
turbance to the country. but can as.
sure you of this, that the principles ap-
piled by all administrations have brought
about among the Philippine people a
depth OF affection for the United States
so that to-day II is almost Just TO say
that the Fflipinos are just as good
americans as are the Americans in the
United States"
Camilo Osas, Assistant Director OF
Education OF the islands. also said that
Immediate independence Is the unani-
nous aspiration OF all the Inhabitants
or the Philippines" He instanced the
great improvement In the Philippine
educational system in the last few years
which had been brought to a condition
where In some respects. such as the
absence OF politics, It was better than
that In this country.
II think the question to be considered
by the Filipinos IL, what IL best for their
own pecuniary interests?" said Judge
Ebert Fl. Gary. How will they re.
ceive the most and the best? BY whose
j cooperation? BY the association with
the capital Of the United States to the