Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1920-12-03

VIVA do they
Maxine M. kaIaw. mean I'm black
and white?
Senator Shotgun 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 self-government that does
not vote his democratic ticket, or go to
church on Sundays.
Capacity f3r self-government' Is as
| broad and elastic as the world, and II
that should be the criterion for the
granting Of Philippine independence.
America might as well say to the Fill
pinos, Il will give yoY Independence
when it pleases me to do So"
Fortunately, the American promise
| to the Philippines Is not based on such
obscure and abstract conditions. 1t 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 q
stable government, no abstract or OBJ
scure condition was meant. Stable
government, according to American
usage, means q certain, definite thing.
The United States promised the Gu
bans the same thing, that when they
| have established q 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-
tons, there was a stable government
In Cuba, and American troops were
withdrawn.
When Congress passed the Jones
law, 1t simply borrowed the phrase
stable government" from the Cuban
history and applied 1t to the, Philip
I pines. The history of Philippine leg
i~slation shows that In black and white.
With full knowledge of what 1t meant,
the Filipino people accepted the Jones
law and Immediately began setting up
the stable government required by Con-
gress as a prerequisite to independ-
ence. The stable government Is now
a fact. 1t Is indeed more than that; 1t
is an undisputed fact.
The official representative of the
United States in the Philippine Islands,
the Governor General, reported to the
American Congress and the administra-
ton that 'the Filipino people have es-
tablished the stable government de-
manded by Congress as a prerequisite
for the granting of independence
namely, a government elected by the
suffrage Of the people. which Is sup
ported by the people, which is capable
of maintaining order and Of fulfilling
Its International obligations"
The Philippine question is therefore
no longer a question of politics, argu-
ment or supposition. To the Philip
pine mind, at least, 1t is now a ques-
ton of whether the United States Ia
ready to discharge its obligations
fully and completely. America went
before the 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
no grudge or grievance against the
American people. Theirs Is a message
of friendship and gratitude. They seel
independence as the natural and log
ical outcome Of Americas policy II
the islands and of Americas solemn
promise to them. They come willing
to give privileges and concessions no
incompatible with their national wei
fare.
The Filipino people are willing (,
accept independence under any Of tn,
following conditions: Under a Leagu,
of Nations, guaranteeing its territorial
integrity under the protectorateshil
of the United States for the first few
years under a treaty of neutrality be
tween the United States. England, ia
pan, France and other powers, or evel
without any condition whatever-abs0
lutte and complete independence. The,
have no fear Of Japan. Philippine In
dependence, In u opinion, is not inim
zeal to Japanese interests. The Japa
nese are now free o-come to the Phi
3 ippines; but at the present time Their
are less than 10000 Japanese In tn
islands. There are six times as man
) Japanese in California as there are /
the entire Philippine Archipelago.
The Fliplnos are willing to TAX
their chance as a nation. Smaller ns
i tions beset by graver problems an
dangers have taken q more haznfdou
: chance at freedom. and have SUI
!. J ceoded-