The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-18
INDEPENDENCE
OF FILIPINOS
HAS NEW ANGLE
Disarmament Confer
ence May Decide
Future Status.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1929

NOhACA C1lCC " pC AClu hCAO
next fall may decide the future
status of the Philippines.
President Harding himself is not
averse to discussion of the Philip
pine question with other powers.
Naturally the United States will
not debate with any other govern
ment the question of when inde-
pendence shall be granted, but, on
the other hand, is ready to talk
over international aspects of the
Philippine problem. In other words
when the United States grants indie
pendence to the Philippines will the
other powers join in guaranteeing
the territorial integrity of the
Philippines?
The promixity of Japan to the
Philippines has led to the oft re-
peated statement on the part of
/ public men in both Japan and the
| United States to the effect that the
Philippines constitute a possible
source Of friction in the future
Former President Taft at one time
said in a public speech that Japan
would never seize the Philippines,
because she could not coloniZe
| them on account of the climate.
4
| experts have always insisted that
in a possible quarrel between the
! United States and Japan, the latter
would Immediately land an expedi-
| tionary force and hold the Philip
pines, in order to draw American
| forces to that region of the Pacific.
This would make the United States
! carry the battle 5000 miles away
! @E ~,
Island Defense Big Expense.
The fortification of the Philip
! pines has been one of Americas
| chief items of expense, and the
| prospect of keeping a protecting
arm over the Philippines even after
| independence has been granted has
not been relished here.
| Obviously, one of the practical
! questions of the disarmament con-
ference is how to reduce military
| and naval expense now borne di-
| rectly by the tax payers. Indeed,
America might have granted inde
| pendence to the Philippines during
! the Wilson administration f it had
| been possible to enter into an agree
j ment with other governments for
| the neutra lization of the Philip
| pines. 1t will be recalled, however,
! that while Mr.. Wilson at first
warmly advocated independence,
when a bill granting the same was
( passed by the house, he reversed
! himself when the measure reached
/ the senate, and was instrumental
| in finally preventing action. His
| reasons were never made public,
! but it is commonly supposed that
international events caused the
| sudden change The world war
! had begun, and Japan had engaged
! in it with the definite purpose of
achieving a dominant position in the
/ far east. 1t was impossible at that
! time to rivet the attention of Great
/ Britain and the other powers on
| the matter of naturalization of the
| Philippines, because all the powers
were absorbed in the war against
| Germany. Feeling, therefore, that
/ the time was not ripe for interna-
! tional agreement to fix the status of
4 the Philippines, Mr.. Wilson post
| poned action. 1t is significant, how
ever, that in his closing message to
congress last December he revived
the issue and formally expressed
I the hope that independence would
be granted the Philippines.
Aspirations Recognized.
: President Harding is mindful OF
the aspirations of the F1lipinos,
but he is actuated also by desire
to save America future expense in
maintaining costly forti1cations
and military and naval forces in
the Philippines when by interna-
tional agreement the Philippines
could be made a matter of common
concern to all the powers. Indeed,
there would be no necessity for the
maintenance of an American fleet
in ASiatic waters if all the nations
entered into a solemn agreement
not to violate the independence of
territorial integrity of the Philip
pines when they were set free by
the United States.
The question of whether or not
freedom shall be given the Philip
pines is a domestic matter, and as
such the other powers attending the
disarmament conference next fall
would not feel warranted in tack
ling il any more than outside ma
tions have felt disposed to inter-
fere as between Ireland and Great
Britain. The United States, on the1
other hand, by taking the initia-
tive and offering for discussion
simply the international aspect OF
the Philippine question, will remove
all doubts which the powers might
otherwise have had as to the pro-
priety of their entering into the
discussion.
Would Remove Friction.
AS Mr. Harding himself indicated,
the scope of the disarmament con-
ference will be determined when 1t
actually gets into session, but no
secret is made here of the fact that
the United States would like TO
have all the powers. including
Japan, go on record as guarantee
ing the territorial integrity OF the
Philippines whenever independence
shall be decided upon by the United
States. II this can be accomplish
ed, one of the possible sources OF
friction and war in the far east
will have been removed, and Amer
ica's military and naval expense
cap corrasnondfupIy he diminished