New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-09-23
WOODS IMPORTANT TASK
OF STRENGTHENING OUT
PHILIPPINE TAN NCL E

Washington, Sept 2l.-The an
nouncement that Major General Leon
ard Wood would accept the appoint
ment of Governor General OF the Phil
ippine Islands afforded the Admins
tration a vast amount of genuine sat-
isfaction. Everything conspired to
make the selection of Major General
Wood for this position a most desir-
able one. His especial talents as an
administrator plus his first-hand know
ledge of conditions in the islands
made him an ideal man for the place.
Moreover as his reception in the Phil
ippine Islands, wherever he went on
his official journey of investigation,
showed General Wood is very popular
among the Filipinos and no one could
have been selected whose appointment
would have more nearly pleased all
the elements in the islands,-a very
vital factor at the present juncture.
Need of Capable Executive
Probably no other appointment gave
the Administration more concern than
that of the Governor General of the
Philippines. In the first place, bus
mess, banking and commercial inter-
ests in the islands were in the worst
conceivable shape, due to policies
which have been in effect during the
last eight years; or more properly
speaking, due to lack of any admin
istrative policy during that time. The
actual administration of the islands
which include control of the Philip
pine Bank and through it the financi-
al and business affairs of the islands
clans of which there are many varie-
ties and factions. The result was
things went to pot"
The Philippine bank which contain
ed practically all the funds of the Phil
ippine government, financed all sorts
of speculative enterprises and became
hopelessly involved. Business of all
kinds on the islands was PROSTATE
when the Harding administration came
into power at Washington. Immediate
| ly American bankers were dispatched
to Manila to take charge of affairs
and to prevent the Philippine bank
from "gobbling up local industries
until permanent relief could be af-
forded by the Congress. This has
/ been done, but it will take several
years for the business interests of the
Philippines to get on their feet.
Anti-American Propaganda
While this was going on in the bus
mess and financial world, even worse
conditions were being created in the
political world. Crafty and unscrup-
ulous leaders, some of them native
politicians and some of them repre-
sentatives of foreign powers who have
covetous eye upon the Philippines
have, during the past few years, been
assiduously stirring up unrest among
the islanders and creating a spiri,
of resentment against the United
States government Not only have
these agitators been conducting among
all the islanders a campaign of prop
aganda against the United States, but
they have been arraying various tribes
against each other and endeavoring to
brng about a state of utter anarchy.
All in all, conditions in the Philip
pines when the Republican Admins
tration came into power were worse
than at any time since the United
States took them over from Spain
To set things Alright requires an ex-
perienced administrator who is at once
tactful and sympathetic, but resolute
one in whom the natives can have
the utmost confidence but who at the
same time will administer affairs with
firm hand. 1t has been demonstrat.
ed that the Filipino is easily governed
and is a very apt and willing student
of American governmental institutions
and practices provided those Americ-
ans who are set over him furnish hin
the proper example and advice.
With the Far Eastern problems still
in the lap of the gods and the future
of the Philippine Islands intimately
involved in the settlement OF these
problems, it is highly important tc
have a very capable executive in
charge of the Islands at this critical
time. For all OF these reasons, the
Administration was very desirous oi
securing the services OF Major Gen
eral Wood and il is especially graft
fled that he has consented TO under
take the task.