The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-30
NO INDEPENDENCE
FOR PHILIPPINES
Major General Wood and w,
Cameron Forbes Make
Report to President =
WOULD BE BETRAYAL
OF FILIPINO PEOPLE
United States Should Relinquish Super
vision g zs6TpE.ne Government Oh
Withdraw Army and Navy - Would
Leave Them Prey to Others.

W IJHtHd" EhtIiN anu Navy w Oulu
Leave Them Prey to Others.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3O-The Phil
ippine Islands should ramain in their
present general status" until the people
there have had time to absorb and thor
oUghly master the power already in their
hands, former Major General Leonard
Wood. now governor general, and w.
Cameron Forbes former governor gen
eral. say in their report to President
Harding. based on their six months study
of conditions in the islands.
We are convinced" they say, that it
would be a betrayal of the Philippine peo-
pie. misfortune to the American people
a distinct step backward in the path OF
| progress and a diScredtable neglect to
our national duty were we to withdraw
| from the islands and terminate our re
latiOnship there without giving the Fill
ipinos the best chance possible to have
an orderly and permanently stable gov
erument.
We feel that with all of their many
! excellent qualities. the experience of the
past eight years. during which they have
had practical autonomy. has not been
such as to Justify the people of the
/ | nlted States in relinquiShing supervision
| of the government of the Philippine is
/ lands. Withdrawing their army and navy
and leaving the islands Il prey to any
powerful nation coveting their rich soil
and potential commercial advantages
These observations of the investigators
! are contained in the general cOnclu-
SionS' and recommendations made in
| the report. which was made public yester-
! day. The complete report. covering 100
| typewriter pages, will be made public
later. Some of the general conclusions
| follow:
General Conclusions
We find the people happy, peaceful
and in the main prosperous and keenly
appreciative of the benefits of American
rule.
We find everywhere among the Chris
/ tian FilipinOS the desire for independence,
/ generality under the protection of the
/ United States. The non-Christians and
| Americans are for continuance of Ameri-
! can control.
We find a general failure to appreciate
the fact that independence under the pro-
lection Of another nation is not true in
dependence.
We find there is a di~quioting lack of
confidence in the administration of jus
ti"c. to an extent which constitutes .
menace to the stability of the govern
/ ment
We find that the people are not or
! ganized economically nor from the stand
| point of national defense to maintain ar
! independent government.
We find that questions in regard t
confirmation of appointments might q
any time arise which would make a dead
! lock between the governor general, and
! the Philippine senate
/ Recommendations
These recommendations are made in
the report:
| We recommend that the nrescpt zen.
eral status of the Philippine islands CON
| tinue until the people have had time II
absorb and thoroughly master the powers
already in their hands.
! We recommend that the responsible
representative of the United States. the
governor general, have authority com
mensurate with the responsibilities of his
position. In case of failure to secure tire
! necessary corrective action by the Phil
! ipDine legislature we recommend that
! congress declare null and void legislation
/ which has been enacted diminishing. lin.
/ iting or dividing the authority granted
! the governor general under. act No. 24C
of the Sixty-f0urth congress known rs tho
i Jones bill.
4 We recommend that in case of a dead
/ lock between the governor general and the
Philippine senate in the confirmation Of
appointments that the President of the
i United States be authorized to make and
render the final decision.
/ We recommend that under no circum-
stances should the American government
lperInit to be established in the Philip
pine Islands situation which would
leave the United States in a position o.
responsibility without authority"