The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-03
The Philippines And
 The League Of Nations

the extension of universal free educa- ton to all the children of the islands.
 This act is of prime importance, not only because it provides funds for a term Of years sufficient to extend a primary education of seven grades to all the children of school age, but also because it enables the Bureau of Ed ucation to prepare and carry into ex- ecution a complete and systematic de- ve1opment of the existing excellent i educational plan, which lacked only extension over the entire field. Fur | thermore, it Is a means of incalcula-
 ble value for the welfare of the Fili-
 pino people, since it will banish illit-
 eracy, establish permanently English
 as the common language of the land,
 afford a firm foundation for demo-
 cratic institutions, and insure order
 and stability to the Insular govern ment"
 In other lines of activity the pro- | gress made under this reorganized d | government is equally marked. The | financial progress of the country is marvellous. The total foreign com
 merce of the Philippines in 1918 was | $107, 685,742, with a balance against her of $5,500,00 while last year, 1918, her foreign commerce reached $234- 231 ,747 with a balance of trade in her 1 favor of $37,SS3, 1924, OF an increase of $133,196,000 of the 1918 trade l over that of 1913, an increase of 131
 per cent. from 1913 to 1918
 With respe"t to our monetary cir
 culation. we had in 1913, or a year before the war, $25, ,348,626, or $2.76 per capita, while at present, we have i,, as. | capita Our total bonded indebted ness amounts to only $2O,125,00O of l which more than $4,00O,OOO has al- | ready been set aside to pay it.
 Taxation in the Philippines was $2.14 per capita in 1918 as compared
 with $2.6S per capita in 1917.
 The Philippine National Bank is an incontrovertible evidence of the great financial progress of the country. It l was organized with, resources amount ! ing to $5,900,0O0 in May, 1916, and ! gradually rose to $14,65O, 900 in July, | 1916, $25, 1000 on Dec. 31, 1917, ! $105, 471,00 on June 30 1918, and 1 $134, 399,039 on Dec 31, 1918.
 now come to the other reason | why we saw this is the proper time to grant the Fflipinos their indepen- i dence. America in the late war fought 1 for the liberty, the self government, | and the undictated development of 1 all peoples" and cheerfuIIy assum led ! her full share in the war flor the ! liberation of peoples everywhere. D | The American people were willing to i dedicate their lives and their for | tunes everything that they were and everything they had, for the things l you have always carried nearest your 11a vt, IJ 4 1 of those who submit to authority to
 have a voice in their own govern ] ment, for the rights and liberties of | small nations"
 l Not only because of their gratitude and loyalty 10 the United States, but l because of their devotion to the same ideals, the FfIipinos internationally l stood by America during the World 1 War. They knew that the fate of 1 their own country was at stake and l for this reason the cause of democ- racy has found in Asia no more sin l cere and staunch supporters than the l Filipino people and so when news was flashed across the ocean that the | enemy of civilization was on his 1 knees, begging for quarters, the
 whole Archipelago rang with univer- | sal relief and joy. It is because the | ideals that have triumphed in the | War are really the ideals of the FiH- pino people written large on the worlds map.
 The principle of your Declaration 1 of Independence that governments 1 must derive their just power from the consent of the governed was re- | baptised with the life sacrifices of
 seven million people. -determin- ation and the consent of the govern l ed! These were the very same ideals l which have guided the political as- pirations of the Filipino people since l Admiral DeWey's arrival in Manila Bay. Self-termination and the con- sent of the governed were the very same principles which we invoked
 when we demanded to be heard at | the Paris Treaty Conference in 1898, | which decided the fate of the Philip pines; they were the very same prin- l ciples which made the Fflipinos wage l a disastrous and unequal war rather l than internationally submit to Amer ican sovereignty; they were the very
 same principles we invoked when, de- feated in war, we had to appeal to the spirit of justice and fair-deaing of the American people; and they were the very same principles which
 
 Jones Law. formally declaring the purpose Of the people of the United States to recognize the independence of the Philippines as soon as a stable government can be established there in.
 The Filipino people can not, there-
 fore, but view with unbounded joy and gratitude the termination of the
 war and the brilliant prospects for the establishments of a League of 1 Nations which will place into a for ! nal enactment the principles and ideals which have won such a decis- i've victory. In sending a special mis- sion to the United States at this time
 the first of it's kind to be officially
 recognized by the Am arican govern
 ment - the Filipino people had in
 mind this gigantic proposal for world readjustment.
 Today when the principles of jus