New-York tribune., 1919-04-13
Shall the Filipino Paddle His
Own Canoe?

independence that appeared to exist
few years ago have now been cleared
away
The soundness of the Republican
policy IN retaining the Philippines and
defeating William Jennings Bryan, who
once ran for President on an "anti-in-
perialist" platform, which was based on
The Philippine question, is expatiated
upon by The Kansas City Journal" as
follows:
If the Democrats had had their wav the
Philippines would have been abandoned to
their fate and in all probability by this
time they would have been absorbed by
Japan or Germany. In the administration
OF the islands it has been always the Re
publican policy TO give the natives the
largest degree of freedom Of adninistra
tion compatible with safety and progress.
1t has been long and difficult road that
has been travelled by the United States in
dealing with the Philippines, but the sound
wisdom of the Republican policy has been
vindicated in the fact that to-day the
people of the Philippines feel that they
are fully capable of independence"
The New York Herald finds that
they are industrious in civil life, as
we'll as gallant upon the battlefield, and
have surplus of S17 100000 in the
Filipino treasury 1.-Two decades of
American supervision have worked
Star "a we'll planned and capably
conducted educational system has
spread its beneticent influence to the
most distant of the islands. Robber
bands, which held large populations in
terror, have been rooted out and de-
stroyed. The people have grown into
a sense of security in the possession of
their property, in their homes and in
their industrial and family life.
There never was any doubt where
the Filipinos stood during the gMat
war - they were solidly behind the
United States. Says The Milwaukee
Sentinel':
"Instead of deeply embarrassing the
United States by putting the pistol of in
surrection to Uncle Sans head what did
they do? They followed the flag; turned
IN and helped Uncle Sam. supported him
to the limit in the full faith that he meant
all he said about independence in due
time
Their sailors and soldiers have
fought beside those from America in
the great war and have won praise for
their feats on the sea and on the battle
fields of France" declares The New
York Herald,' and The Springfield
Republican, adds:
ut is greatly to thhe credit of the Fill
pinos that during the war between the
United States and Germany their loyalty
to this country was conspicuous and that
their general attitude as people gave no
uneasiness whatever to the Washington
government"
Manuel l.. Quezon is at the head of
the Filipino delegation that made the
long pilgrimage to Washington. He
has been known over a decade as a pro-
tagonst in the field of Philippine poll
tics, and The Detroit Free Press"
thinks that
for man Of Quezon's type the stage is
set for great show He hopes to be able
to return to Manila with the warrant for
Philippine independence in his hands and
then he will become President, like George
Washington, and be the father of his
country"
The majority of the press seems sat-
ished that, whatever happens at this
time, eventually the United States pro-
tectorate over the little islands of the
Pacific will work out as satisfactorily
as it did in Cuba, and that in them we
shall have made "a lifelong friend.'