New-York tribune., 1919-04-07
Letter and Bakers Re-
marks Believed To Be the
Opening Shots i'm Ad-
ministration Campaign
Early Action Is Forecast
League of Nations Expect
ed to Form Basis of
Giving Islands Safetv
By Carter Field

W washington, Bureau
WASHINGTON, April 6-President
Wilson'S letter to Secretary Baker, al
ludlng to the progress toward an in
dependent Philippine government,
while not a surprise 20 members of
his Administration nor to Senator's
who have made a stuoy of the Philip
pine question, has aroused grave ap-
prehension here.
From the words of the President and
even more from the remarks to the
Philippine Commission by Secretary
Baker it is taken for granted that at
the next session of Congress a new
Philippine bill will be submitted bv
the Administration which will actually
fix the time at which the islands are
to be given their freedom. The Presi-
dents allusion to the guarantees af-
torded small nations by the league of
nations is accepted here as meaning
that, with this international system
installed, the President would feel that
the last possible objection by those
opposing Philippine Independence
would have been removed.
Those who knew Manuel Ouezon.
mead of the present Philippine Com
mission and president of the Philip-
pine Senate, when he was Philipnine
Commissioner here, at the time Con-
gress was granting the islands much
larger measure of government. bv
the Jones bill, declare that in his
heart Mr.. Quezon does not desire act
ual independence, although it has AL
ways, since the days of Aguinaldo,
whose lieutenant Quezon was, been q
popular political stand to take In the
islands.
President Favored Freedom
1t is pointed out also that at the
time the Jones bill was pending the
president supported warmly, in a let
Ter read to the caucus of House Demo-
Gratis, the so-called Clarke amendment
which would have given the islands
absolute liberty at the end of a three
year period.
This stand of the President was one
OF the causes of the break between the
president and Secretary of War Lind
ley NJ Garrison, although, because of
the more pressing Importance then Of
preparedness, less attention was at
tracted to this difference.
MIR. Garrison felt that tho President
mad broken faith with him in sunnort-
ing the Clarke amendment. The Presi-
dent wrote Mr. Garrison that he wns
taxing up tho matter of sottcninr tbc
Clarke amendment with Mr.. Jones and
othors' Rut just after this the Prcsi.
dont wrote Mr.. Jones letter. which
was read to the Democratic caucus.
urging that tho Clarke amendment ho
adopted. Only the holting OF tho eau
Gus ny the Tammany members pre-
vented the Clarke amendment from be-
ing written ino the law.
Foresee Attempt ut Force
With this attitude of tho President
IN mind, there is grave fear here that
ne Will attempt to force the substance
OF tho Clarke amendment through Con-
Sress at the earliest opportunity, count
ing on certain measure of support
from those Republicans who regard
the Philippine Islands as an unneccs-
sary entanglcment. Friends Of the Ad-
point out that with the
league OF nations put into effect tho
Japanese menace would disappear for
ever.
Students of President Wilson's for
cign policies who have made a particu-
lar investigation of the Philippine ISL
ands with reference to the relation be-
tween their possession by the United
States and this country's commercial
opportunities in the Far East contrast
"a, however. the letter from the Presi-
lent with Mr.. Wilson's declaration in
his "History Of the American People"
the Philippines.
Frontier in Pacific
In that work Mr.. Wilson SAYS:
"Amerlca had turned from
developing its own resources to make
conquest Of the markets of the world
The great East was the market all the |
world coveted now, the market for
which statesmen as we'll as merchants
must plan and play their game of com
'etitlon, the market to which diplo
Macy and if need be power, must make
n open way. The United States could
ot easily dispense with that foothold in
he East which the possession of the
Philippines so unexpectedly afforded
hem. These new frontiers in
he far Pacific came to them
c if ont Of tho yar,, nocos,;+,, . g -