The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-05
JAPAN bUGAbO0
STANDS IN way y
One Obstacle Looming s O in
Path Toward ComplA ga
dependence q
Philippines rs
FOREIGN ENcRo MENT
Filipino Mission VIII Tour Country
and Make Speeches in Be-
half Of Islands
Freedom.
FOREIGN ENCRO s. ..MENT

l.
WASHINGTON, April 5.-The JAP
arese "bugaboo" is looming UP as the
determining feature in the question oil
independence for the Philippines and
other American insular possessions
officials and legislators indicate today,
With a concerted drive in prospect
to gain statehood or greater degree
OF independence for the possessions
in the sixty-siXth congress, the trend
of thought on the subject today was
shown as follows:
whether President Wilson will rec
ommend independence of the Phil
ippines will demand upon what guar
antees of protection against foreign
enroachment can be given as a result
OF the peace conference and the
league of nations. Military officials
intimately associated with the Philip
pine problem.
Il trust the new order of things un-
der the league of nations program will
permit the speedy assumption of self
rule of the islands. They do not wish
to become secret Corea. Senator
Hitchcock.
THE people always have had NO
idea other than to grant the islands
ndependence-but the tine for this
step cannot be forecast by any one.
Representative Mondell, slated to be
the republican leader III the next con-
gress.
Japan has no designs on the Phil
ippines except to extend her com
merce. The Japanese military party
received its death blow at the last
election Manuel Quezon, head OF the
Filipino mission here, asking indepen-
dence.
The islanders propose to Offset the
possibility of Japanese aggression, 1t
was learned today by submitting, If
necessary to limited American pro-
tectorate under an extension of the
cpen-door-in-China policy which mem
bers of the mission said would give
ample protection from danger Of for
eign threats.
American government officials
charged with supervision of Philippine
affairs are confident the present gov
ernment is stable and could operate
without American supervision, but are
rot sure it could resist the influence
of strong powers who might seek to
use the strategic value of the islands
for their own ends.
President Wilson for this reason Is
expected to encounter stubborn repuo-
lican opposition at the outset if he
moves in the direction of Filipino inde-
pendence. The argument that Japan
Is waiting to grab the Islands the
moment America witl,draws, will be
reviewed despite any arrangement the
peace conference may make to prevent
this. it is indicated today
Republicans have long charged that
Japan has worked under cover of the
democratic control of the Islands to
honeycomb them with her own agents.
President Wilson, however, by his
insistence on tie principle of self
determination has aroused the hope
Of the Filipino people to high pitch
and has committed himself on the
theory of their freedom. BY the prin-
ciple of self-determination the plea OF
the delegation from the Filipino leg
islature in Washington this week
would seem to require affirmative ac-
ton on the part of this government.
This was promised in a general way by
Secretary Baker and by President VIII
son in his letter read to the delega-
tfon yesterday. Both were carefui,
however, TO avoid any fat commitment
as TO indicate independence and LETT
the question in theoretical stage.
The Filipino mission will tour the
country and make speeches In behalf
of its independence.