The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-04-12
NOT RIPE FOR
INDEPENDENCE
BELIEVED ADMINISTRATION WILL
TELLFiLIPiNos THEYARE NOT /
10 BE SET FREE AT ONCE.
GEN. WOOD WILL INVESTIGATE
Islanders Have Advanced Wonderful
~, It ls Declared, but Have Not Yet
Reached. Plane to Enable Them TO-
BE a SeIf.governing People. n 4, ~. =.
By EDWARD 8. CLARK.

by ELI" %nD o. s~IfNnNs e.
Washington.-Maj.* Den. Leonard
Wood has been ordered to the Philip
pines to study conditions in the Is
lands, and to make report thereon
for the benefit Of the government. The
general, as the country knows, has
been offered the governor generalship
Of the Philippines, but the understand
ing is that as soon as his study OF
the situation is over, he will return
to the United States and make his re-
port, retire from the service, and be-
come provost of the University OF
Pennsylvania. --'~, II
The administration seems to be con-
WINGED that things are not altogether
right in the Philippines. Be this as
it may, it is definitely known that the
Filipinos expected that the United
States soon would release them from
what they probably look on as bond
age, and make Of them an independ-
ent people. Bluntly speaking, there
seems to be no such thought on the
part of the officials in Washington.
They do not believe that the Filipino
is ripe for independence, and that 1t
will be some time before he can be
turned loose with safety to care for
himself. ~ s,%.% e. 1888
1t is charged in Washington that
American officials in the Islands in the
last eight years have encouraged the
Filipinos in their belief that, soon they
were to be set free. Already this en-
enlargement, 1t IS said, has had the ef-
feet of producing unsettled conditions.
There have been troubles in various
parts of the possessions, and the con-
slant assertion is that the wards Of
the government are acting in advance
as If they were no longer subject to
American rule. These are the charges
made, and General Wood Is going over
to find out all about it. 49,.
s Wood May Break News.
When the United States government,
as it is almost certain to do, breaks
the news to the Filipinos that they
are not to be set free ut once, the
breaking of the news must be done
automatically, and with every precau-
ton to avert serious troubles IF the
Job of telling the Islanders the truth
shall full to General Wood, he prob
ably will be able to do it in a way
which will reduce to the least pos
sible minimum the resentment which
is sure to follow. Wood "has a way
with him" Normally, he IS exceed
ingly gentle, but if duty demands he
is stern. "'t - F@~... ~ :-
Washington officials, legislative and
executive, when they talk about the
subject at all, say that the main req.
son for not turning the Filipinos loose
is that with racial and other condi-
tions as they are in the Islands, free
dom would bring instant disorder.
They go on to say that ever since
Dewey's day the United. States govern
ment has been conducting an upbuilds
Ing work in the Philippines, the peo-
pie themselves and the institutions
forming the material for the labor Of
construction. 1t Is declared here that
the Islanders have advanced wonder
fully, but that they have not yet
reached the plane of efficiency, self
restraint and temperament which will
enable them to be self-governing
people. The argument of the OPP
ponents of immediate liberation is
that 1t is better to go on with the
work until success Isl assured rather
than to turn a people loose who can
not complete the work for themselves.
There is also some fear In Wash
ington that If the Islanders are re-
leased from United States control,
they may be gobbled up on some pre-
tense or other by another power. 1t
is probable today that the, Islands
would be overrun If we had war with
a great power which might succeed in
overcoming our navy, but of course
this matter aside from the main
present issue. s..sZ-l. 1&#, &@
i ~ Strong as Gibraltar.
officials of the War department
realize that because Of the isolation
of the Philippines ordinary fortifica- !
lions would be of comparatively lit \
tie use if there should be a sudden at
tack by an enemy. Corregidor, fortf-
fled as it is, has changed the whole
face of affairs as far as ease OF APP
proacll to Manila is concerned. If the
Spaniards years ago had been given
the sense to fortify properly this rock
island at the entrance to Manila bay,
Dewey might been shut out from his
victory of May, 1898. Army officers
and naval officers have said tliatsCor
regidor is as strong as Gibraltar. @
All the work that the United States
has done in the Philippines In the way
of constructing Notifications has gone
on with comparatively little notice.
All the work has been done by Amer
leans, no foreigner ever having been
allowed to take part In 1t, even. to the
extent of digging spadeful OF earth
or blasting rock. If the American
fleet should meet with disaster In
eastern waters, Manila bay would
prove to be safe place for refuge
!. ~ -