Evening star., 1921-10-11
PHILIPPINE FORTS
. MAY Be D|SBANDED
Status of Islands Likely to
Come Up at Conference at
Japan's Request.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

Toxic cablegrams saying Japan
would like to bring up the status of
the Philippines when the conference
on far eastern questions is held here
! next month has brought out several
informal expressions of opinion at
-; this end which indicate that even that
i problem will not be insuperable.
| The Japanese contention that
American fortificati0ns are regarded
| by Japan as purely offensive is not
seriously regarded in Washington,
| where a. division of opinion has al
ways prevailed as TO the real value
of fortifying the archipelago. One
set of military men in our govern
ment thinks all money being spent on
Philippine fortifcationS is wasted, not
only because the United States does
not intend to become a military ma
ton and. of course, will never keep
an army overseas big enough to JUS
tify the maintenance of fortifications.
but because the Philippines are ac-
cesSlble to an attacking army from
too many places
This school of army thought be-
heVeS that any fortifications which
are Ineffective had better be given up
and that reciprocally Japan might DC
induced to stop fortifying some of the
Pacihc islands under her control.
Cannot Be Defended.
Those American military and naval
men who favor large fortifications in
the Philippines argue that even ad-
mitting that the Philippines cannot
be defended from an eXpeditionary
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
relnforcements. 1t is further con-
tended that Manila could be used ef-
tectively<as a naval base.
Here. again. tn question of how
large a fleet the United States wishes
to maintain, or rather can afford to
maintain in the Pacific, comes into
discussion. With the American Navy
divided between the Atlantic and Pa
cific. the building of a naval base
simply to care for the vessels now in
the Pacific is not considered alto
gether sound. On the other hand, an
immense expenditure would be re-
quired for a really large naval base
sufficient to do the work expected of
the American Navy IN an emergency
in the far east.
Divergence of View.
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 surprising
to see our own delegation finally per
suaded to offer to halt further mill
tary expense in the Philippines if the
Japanese curtailed their naval and
military program, too.
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
J.-
inside the Harding administration is
that the Filipinos are not yet ready
to be cast off to shift for themselves
and that it would be best for the
Filipinos if America retained a guild
ing hand for awhile longer. Great
Britain incidentally would not be
happy to see the principle of self
determination adopted so close 10
India, and there are other powers
with far eastern possessions which
would prefer to see the status quo
maintained with respect to the Philip
pines.
Japan Has PrOAted.
There is good ground for the be-
lief that the Japanese themselves are
tage or disadvantage to japan in the
grant of independence by the United
States to the people of the islands.
Commercially Japan has profited i'm
mensely by Americas possession of
the Philippines. Not only has big
tourist travel been developed which
always includes Japan on any trip
to the Philippines. but the trade of
Japan with the Philippines has grown
by leaps and bounds since the United
States took over the islands from
Spain.
The Philippine commissioners here
are anxious that the United States
government include them aS~members
of the armament conference in some
advisory way, so that when the in
terests of the Filipino people are dis
cussed their representatives may be
present. at least to learn what is going
on. They want to be consulted. The
probabilities are that if they make
formal request for such a status it
may be granted, as there is no par
ticular objection to it among liberal
minded officials. who see in the move
an act of courtesy to the Philippines,
which are an integral part of the
whole far eastern problem
Copyright. 1921