The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-09-03
EIGHT YEARS RUINOUS RULE OF
PHILIPPINES COMES TO CON-
CLUSION.
Conditions In Island Worse Than
ANY Time Since United States
Took Possession.


Took Possession.
Washington, d. c., Sept. IAN adj
dress of Bishop Charles Bro2t, of the
Episcopal dioces Of New York, be-
fore the International Political and
Economic Institute at Williamstown,
Mass, and series of advertisements
running in financial paper offering
for sale Philippine Government bonds
have very intimate relation.
Bishop Brent, for years bishop in
the Philippines, have only recently
returned to this country In his ad-
dress before the Institute few days
ago he said, speaking of the Amer
lean policy in those islands:
There are two criticisms to be
made of the last administration in
Washington. The first is, that where
as all appointments to Philippines
offices had formerly been made with
out regard to American politics, after
1918 the partisan line was very
sharp drawn. The second is, that
whereas men Of real leadership had
always before been sent to high
Office there, in recent years the men
sent have been of the kind who were
content merely to find out what the
PHILIPPINES want and give them their
desire"
Democratic Policies RuniOus.
The distressing financial condition
is the Philippines by which the gov
eminent itself Is practically bank
rupt and all private business pros
trated is direct result of Democratic
administration described by Bishop
Brent. 1t was to relieve this stu
alton that the Congress recently au-
thorized the Philippine government
to increase its indebtedness by $751;
100000 and to raise which bonds are
now being sold.
At the time the Congress took ac-
ton, it being an emergency measure,
the National Bank of the Islands
was insolvent and on the verge of
closing its doors. 1t had lost not
only private funds deposited with it,
but about $5O,O0O,0OO Philippine gov
eminent funds. Its closing would
have utterly wrecked all business in
the islands, as it had made heavy
loans to many Of the leading COM
merciaL and industrial enterprises.
Many of the large enterprises of the
islands were about to be foreclosed
by foreign interests, which were
eagerly awaiting that opportunity to
get firmly entrenched in the islands.
Eight years ago the Philippine
bank and business in the islands
were in excellent condition. The
World War vastly increased the
exports of the islands and also in
creased their value. The critical
financial conditions and virtual bank
ruptcy of the government is due, not
to economic conditions, but to the
insufficient government of the Phil
tration. Saturated with the same
anti-imperialism idea that was the
Democratic paramount issue in
Bryan's 1900 campaign against Nc
Kinley's reelection, the Wilson ad-
ministration proceeded to put these
ideas into effect. Although respon-
sible for the manner in which the
islands were managed politically
and economically the Democrats
practically turned the government
over to natives and let them do as
they pleased. Affairs fell into the
hands of a faction of the PHILIPPINE
politicians with the result that at
the end of eight years the Philippines
are in worse shape that at any
time since the United States took
possession of them.
Republicans Must Save Situation.
Politically, things are in a mess
The vital addication of the Demo-
cratic appointees left the native pol
iticians free to stir up trouble and
rekindle fires of dissatisfaction with
American policies Economically and
financially, affairs could hardly be
worse. The management of the gov
eminent bank was turned over by the
Democratic administration to incom-
petent natives with the above men
toned results
The Harding administration i'm
mediately dispatched American bank
ers to take charge of the islands
finances in an endeavor to prevent
absolute ruin. The Congress passed
the emergency resolution increasing
the Philippines legal Indebtedness by
$15,000,000. But it will take a long
time and hard work to overcome the
evil effects of eight years of Demo-
cratic mis-management and the Will
sonian idea of self government as
applied to the islanders.