The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-10-06

from the opinion that the "investiga-
tors" have ali been but little Influenced
by what they investigated" but have
been absolutely controlled by precon-
ceived opinions concerning the econom-
ic and political advantages of the
United States. The principle of self
determination upon the part of the
F%ilipinos themselves apparently has
been secondary with most Americans.
Ever since the Spanish-American
war We have been holding out hopes
of independence to the Philippines.
Presidents Mckinley, Roosevelt, Taft
and Wilson encouraged the Filipinos
to get ready for independence The
Wilson administration assumed that
the time had arrived for independence,
and gave to the Islands a degree of
self-government that made the Fill
pinos almost absolute in their affairs.
But President Wilson waited almost
until the last of his term before max
ing any specific appeal to congress to
grant the Islands independence. The
Filipinos did not like this long delay,
and the practical effect was TO wish
the whole thing onto Mr.. Harding"
The new president didn't like il. either,
to have this matter thrust upon him
in this way: and that perhaps &C
counted for the fact that one Of his
earliest acts in Office was to create
the Wood-Forbes mission, which Fill
pinos will doubtless assert has done
its worst.
Undoubtedly the Filipinos, indie
pendent of independence questions
and all other considerations. think
that the United States government is
rather tickle in its methods. There
are evidences that we are getting in
Dutch with our colonies.
Alaska, with its tremendous slump
in population, now said to be only
10000; Cuba. with its "frenzied f.
nances"; Panama, with it's terrific
grievance about the White award in
the Colombia-Panama boundary mat
ter; and Porto Rico, no longer the
richest spot in the ocean, are also dis
satisfied.
Whatever may be u attitude to-
wards our wards, we are always sure
that "our hearts are in the right
place" We want to do the right thing
by them. While we are denying indie
pendence to the Filipinos, congress is
listening to appeals to help Ireland.
The Irish committee whacks away at
congress in big ads in the Washington
daily newspapers. THE foremost prin-
ciple of our foreign policy has been
that every nation has a right to exist
reads the address, land that no other
nation may justly impair that right on
the ground Of military or naval ex-
p~ediency." And then, after a long and
eloquent appeal, the gentlemen Of
congress" are told finally: 'The peace
Of the world is involved in the free
dom of Ireland. For the United States
Ireland's struggle for independence has
become a domestic question. The duty
to deal with this question still con-
tinues to confront Ireland" There is
a lot more to the same effect. But
there isn't much evidence that official
action will be had in Washington on
the Irish question. Our own problems
with the Philippines, Alaska, Hawaii,
Panama, and the islands off the Florida
coast are our more important respon-
sibility.
In Washington the price of gasoline
IS twenty-five cents a gallon. In New
England it is as high as tw~enty-eight
cents. The Washington price is ten or
eleven cents less than a year ago. The
bureau of mines wien appealed to for
a reason for the falling off in the
price of gasoline, pointed out that the
production of gasoline resulted in the
largest stock in the country's history
being on hand last spring. While pro-
duction has been curtailed it is never
theless certain that the producers
have been caught between the indus
trial wheels just as have merchants
and manufacturers, with the result that