The Nevada County picayune., 1920-05-13

senator SH0gun may lEtHh HV pcVPi0 is capable of self-eoyernment that does not establish the judicial recall, or that has no Billy Sunday. John Smith of Somerv.lle may think no people IS capable of self government that does net vote his democratic ticket, or go to church on Sundays.
 "Capacit 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 we'll say to the Fill pinos, "I will give yor independence when il pleases me to do so."
 Fortur ately. 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 wogld be granted their independ ence IS soon as they could establish a stable government, no abstract or ob- seure condition was meant. Stable goVerEla mt, according to American usage. T ans certain, definite tkng.
 The United States promised the Gu bans tie same thing, that WI en they have = lbished a stable gove rnment, theu 3s eriean troops would e with drawn" As soon as the Cuban people elected a government suited 10 them selyls, capable of maintaining order aha fulfilling all international obliga- tious there was a stable government in Cuba, and American troops were withdra81.
 When Congress passed the Jones law, it simply borrowed the phrase stable government" from the Cuban history and applied it 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 Cen gresS as a prerequisite to independ- ence. The stable government is now R fact Ii is indeed more than that 1t Is an undsputed fact
 The official representative of the Cnited States in the Philippine Islands, the Governor General, reported to the American Congress and the administra- tion that "the Filipino people have es- tablished the stable government de handed by Congress as q prerequisite for the granting of independence namely, a government elected by the suffrage of the people, which Is sup ported ny the people which is capable of maintaining order and of fulfilling It's international obligations"
 The Philippine question is therefore 10 longer question of politics, argu- ment or supposition. To the Philip pine mind. at least, It is now a ques- tion of whether the United States is ready to discharge its own obligations fully and completely. America went before tie world in the recent war as the avowed champion If "self-determi. nation" and Filipinos cannot see how America can consistently refuse to act
 The Filipino people, however, have ne 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 America's policy in the islands and of Americas solemn promise to them. They come willing to give privileges and concessions not incompatible with their national wei fare.
 The Filipino people are willing to accept indcpendence under any of the following conditions: Under League of Nations guaranteeing it's territorial integrity; under the protectoratesh'p or the United States for the first few ye2rs; under treaty Of neutrality be tween the United states England, Ja- pan, France and other powers, or even without any condition whatever-ah5o fUtc and complete independence. They have nc fear of Japan. Philippine in- dependence, in our opinion, Is not nlm- ical D Japanese interests The Japa- nese are now free 10 come Co the Phil. ippines. but at the present time there are less man 10,080 Japanese in the islands There are six times as many Japanese in California as there are in the entire Philippine Archipelago.
 The Filipinos are willing to take their chance as nation Smaller aa- tions beset by grever problems and dangers have taken a more hazardous chance at freedom, and hays 5ac- seeded