The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-06-17
and white

and white?
Senator Shotgun may think no people
is capable of self-government that doe
not establish the judicial recall, or tina
has no Billy Sunday. John Smith o.
Somervllle may think no people Il
capable of self-government that does
not vote his democratic ticket, or go tC
church on Sundays.
Capacity for 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, II 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 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 a
stable government, no abstract or OBJ.
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 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 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Withdrawn.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.
pines. The history of Philippine leg
islatlon 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.
gress as a prerequisite to independ.
ence. The stable government is now
q fact. 1t Is indeed more than that; n
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
tion that "the Filipino people have es
tablished the stable government de
manded by Congress as a prerequisite
for the granting of independence
namely, 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, arg,. |
ment or supposltlon. To the Philip |
pine mind, at least, II is now ques
tion of whether the United States is
ready TO discharge its own obligations
fully and completely. America went
before the world in the recent war as
the avowed champion IF "self-determi
nation" and Fillpinos cannot see how
America can consistently refuse to act
The Filipino people, however, have
n" Srudge or grievance against the
American people. Theirs is message
of friendship and gratitude. They seel
independence as the natural and log
lcal outcome of America's policy IN
the Islands and of Americas solemn
promise to them They come WILLING +,
to give privileges ard concessions moi {
Incompatible with their national wei
fare.
The Filipino people are willing {,
accept independence under any Of IN,
following conditions: Under a Learu, ,
Of Nations, guaranteeing its territorial /
integrity; under the protectorateShiI
Of the United States for the first few G
years; under treaty of neutrality be v
tween the United States England. Ja y
pan. France and other powers or ever
without any condition whatever-ahso
ute and complete independence. The,
have no fear Of japan Philippine I'm n
dependence, in our opinion, is not lnim 81
cal 20 Japanese interests. The Jana s.
lese are now free 20 come % the PHI I
ppines, but NJ the present time ther, "
re less than 10000 japanese IN IN, %.
Stands. There are six times as man, NJ
In California as there are IN ir
he entire Philippine Archipelago. ei
Tho Filipinos are willing 10 TAX, al
heir chance as a nation. Smaller na OF
ions beset by grnver problems Rnt &C
angers have taken a more hazariou -
hance at freedom, and have suo
e. sG-'l