The Little River news., 1920-06-05

Maximo M. kalaW. mean in black and white?
 Senator Shogun may think no people is capable of self-government that does not establish the judicial recall, or that has no Billy Sunday. John Smith of Somerville may think no people is capable of government that does not vote his democratic ticket, or go to church on Sundays.
 Capacity for self-government" is as broad and elastic as the world, and if that should be the criterion for the granting of Philippine independence, America might as well say to the Fiji pinos, "I will give yo', independence when it pleases me to do so.'
 Fortunately, the American promise to the Philippines is not based on such obscure and abstract conditions. It is based on a definite seizable thing When America, through her Congress, officially told the Filipino people that they would be granted their independ- ence as soon as they could establish stable government, no abstract or ob scure condition was meant. Stable government, according to American usage, means a certain, definite thing.
 The United States promised the Gu bans the same thing, that when they have established a stable government, then American troops would be with drawn" As soon as the Cuban people elected a government suited to them selves, capable of maintaining order and fulfilling all international obliga- tionS, there was a stable government fin Cuba, and American troops were withdrawn
 When Congress passed the Jones law, it simply borrowed the phrase stable government" from the Cuban history and applied 1t to the Philip pines. The history of Philippine leg islation shows that in black and white With full knowledge of what it meant, the Filipino people accepted the Jones law and immediately began setting up the stable government required by Con- gross as a prerequisite to independ- ence. The stable government is now a fact. II is indeed more than that; it Is an undisputed fact.
 The official representative of the United States in the Philippine Islands, the Governor General reported to the American Congress and tl.e administra- tlon that the Filipino people have es- tahlished the stable government de- handed by Congress as prerequisite for the granting of indesendence- namely, a government elected by the suffrage of the people, which is SUD- ported by the people, which is capable of maintaining order and of fulfilling Its international obligations"
 The Philippine question is therefore no longer question of politics. argu- ment or suppositien. To the Philip pine mind. at least, 1t is now a ques- tion of whether the United States is ready to discharge it's own obligations fully and completely. America went before the world in the recent war as the avowed champion Jf "self-deterrli- nation" and Filipinos cannot see how America can consistently refuse to act
 The Filipino people, however, have nb grudge or grievance against the American people Theirs is a message of Friendship and gratitude. They seek independence as the natural and log ical outcome of Americas policy in the islands and of Americas solemn promise 10 them. They come willing to give privileges and concessions not incompatible with their national wei fare.
 The Filipino people are willing to accept Independence under any of the following conditions: Under a League of Nations, guaranteeing its territorial 1 integrity; under the protectorateship i of he United States for the first few years; under treaty of neutrality be- tween the United States, England, Ja- i pan, France and other powers or even without any condition whatever-abso- l lute and complete independence They l have no fear of Japan. Philippine in- dependence, in our opinion, is not inim- ! ical to Japanese interests The Iapa- nese are now free to come to the Phil | ippines, but at the present time there | are less than 10000 Japanese in the ] islands. There are six times as many | Japanese in California as there are in the entire Philippine Archipelago. l The Filipinos are willing to take { their chance as a nation. Smaller na- ! tions beset by graver problems and ! dangers have taken more hazardous ! chance at freedom, and have sue ceeded.