The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-12
DISCUSSION OF
PHILIPPINES IS
WANTED BYJAPS
u. S. Opinions Indi-
cate Subject Won't
Be Barred.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright. 1921
The Argus.)

Washington, Oct IL. - Toxic
cablegrams saying Japan would like
to bring up the status of the Philip
pines when the conference on far
eastern questions is held here next
month has brought oCt several in
formal expressions of opinion at
this end which indicate that even
that problem will not be insuper-
able
| The Japanese contention that
F, American fortifcations are regard
ed by Japan as purely offensive is
not seriously regarded in Washing
/ ton where a division of opinion has
always prevailed as to the real
value of fortifying the archipelago
One set of military men in our gov
| ernment thinks all money being
spent on Philippine Notifications is
wasted not only because the United
! States does not intend to become a
/ military nation and OF course will
never keep an army overseas big
| enough to Justify the maintenance
of Notifications but because the
| Philippines are accessible to an at
lacking army from too many places.
Army Men Disagree.
This school of army thought be-
lives that any fortifications which
{ are ineffective had better be given
| up and that reciprocally Japan
might be induced to stop fortifying
some of the Pacific islands under
/ her control.
! Those American military and
naval men who favor large fortifi-
cations in the Philippines argue
/ that even admitting that the Philip
pines cannot be defended from ar
exreditionary attack of considerable
size, it would be helpful to the
United States to be able to hold the
Philippines in an emergency until
the navy could bring reinforce
ments. 1t is further contended that
Manila could be used effectively as
a naval base.
Here again the question of how
large a fleet the United States will
have to maintain, or rather can af-
comes into discussion With the
4
Atlantic and Pacific, the building OF
a naval base simply to care for the
vessels now in the Pacific is not
considered altogether sound. On
! the other hand, an immense expen-
diture would be required for a
really large naval base sufficient to
do the work expected of the Ameri-
can navy in an emergency in the
far east
So there is a divergence of view
even among our own military and
naval experts as to what ought to
be done about fortifying the Philip
pines, and it would not be surpris-
| ing to see our own delegation fin
| ally persuaded TO offer to halt
+! further military expense in the
| Philippines if the Japanese curtail-
ed their naval and military pro-
gram, too
Not Ready for Freedom.
AS for the suggestion from Toxic
that the Philippines might be given
their independence and placed
under international control, that OF
course is domestic question which
the United States need not discuss
with the Japanese. The prevailing
. view inside the Harding administra
tion is that the Fflipinos are not We
ready to be cast off to shift fol
, themselves ard that it would b,
, best for the Filipinos if America re
, tanned a guiding hand for a whiit
: longer. Great Britain incidentally
would not be happy to see the prin
I 1sVlt Nf e1TT a.
. so close to India and there are othel
powers with far eastern possession.
which would prefer to see tn,
status quo maintained with respec
to the Philippines.
There is good ground for the be
lief that the Japanese themselves
are divided upon the question of ad-
vantage or disadvantage to japan
in the grant of independence by the
United States to the people of the
islands. Commercially Japan has
profited immensely by America 5
possession of the Philippines. No;
only has a big tourist travel been
developed which always includes
Japan on any trip to the Philip
pines, but the trade of Japan with
the Philippines has been growing
by leaps and bounds since the Unit
ed States took over the islands from
/ Spain
FiIipinos to Attend Meet.
The Philippine commissioners
here are anxious that the United
States government include them as
members OF the armament confer
ence in some advisory way so tha;
when the interests Of the Filipino
people are discussed, their repre-
sentatives may be present at leas;
to learn what is going on The
want to be consulted. The proba
bilities are that il they make a for
NAL request for such a status il ma
be granted as there is no paTtica.ai
objection to it among liberal mindei
off fcials who see in the move an &C
tion OF courtesy 10 the Philippine
, which are an integral part Of tn
whole far eastern problem