Evening star., 1922-06-22
Declares Time Not Yet Come
for Island to Be In
dependent.
PREDECESSORS POLICY
JUSTIFIED; HE ASSERTS
Mission Told, However, That Final
Decision on Self-Sovereignty
Rests With Congress.

pine aspira tions to independence and
complete self-sovereiEnty. President
Harding today replied to the Philip
pine parliamentary mission that the
time is not yet for independence"
The Presidents statement was made
to the members of the mission. who
last week presented to him the Fill
pinos' argument and plea for a sep
arate political existence. The policy
of the administration, Mr.. Harding
stated. would follow along the lines
laid down by his predecessors in the
White House. notably President Nc
kinley. under whom the Fillpinos
were freed from Spain.
Text of President's speech.
The text of the Presidents state
ment to the Philippine commission is
as follows:
heard with deep interest and have
read with full deliberation the petition
which you delivered to me through
Mr.. QueZon few days ago. | must
express my full and grateful appre-
citation of your utteranceS Of loyalty
and your confidence in the American
people. / hope the travels of your
mission and your contacts with both
official and private life have per
suaded you that the people of the
United States believe in that loyalty
no less than you avOw it. And l
trust this mutuality of confidence and
esteem will abide for all time, no mat
ter what limitations of governments
are attached to our relationship. The
philippine people and those of the
United States ventured together upon
a great experiment in human prog
ress. Since you yourselves, in your
petition, have so heartily and officially
testified to its success quite as we
have been glad to believe, 1 am well
persuaded that our intimate expert
enCe has established our cordial re-
lations and our ties of friendship for
all time to come.
No fixed intent, no thought of
conquest. no individual or govern
mental design to exploit no desire
TO colonize, brought US together. Ii
was the revolution of the fates.
wherein our assault against oppres-
sion at our very doors carried our
warfare to yours. far away, and your
liberation attended
No American statesman had pre-
conceived expansion to the orient.
no American industrial or CONNER
cial interests were urging the plant
ing of the flag and our responsibility
war revealed us to one another, and
held US as your sponsors before the
world.
People Sanction Policy.
From the day that tranquility and
stability were established in the is
lands the question of the future Of
the Philippines has been a matter of
political discussion in the United
States as we'll as in the islands.
though from different viewpoint
Here in the states the early opposi-
tion was against so called mill
tarism and Imperialism" When the
issue was made paramount. the
American people gave sanction to the
government policy inaugurated by
President Mckinley, continued by
President Roosevelt and supported
by President Taft.
The question was not brought to
the front in the general elections of
1912, but the party called to power
under President Wilson had adhered
to its opposition to the then exist
ing Philippine policy. In its plat
form it condemned our friendly ex-
pertinent as IAN inexcusable blunder
which has involved US in enormous
expense and brought us weakness
instead of strength" 1 refer to the
declaration in order to have you bet
sional action. which resulted in the
organic act of 1916, known as the
Jones law.
1t was my fortune to serve as a
member of the Senate when this act
was under consideration, and / recall
distinctly the varying constructions
Of the preamble. The progress made
toward self-government in that act is
not to be challenged, and l think
there is no American authority, in
Congress or out. suggesting any back
ward course. The act is not under
consideration. But. since you refer
pledge in that preamble. and call to
my attention the passage of a year
and a quarter of this administra-
ton without a step toward the full
bestowal Of independence, I remind
you that at the time of passage of
the act the then senior senator from
Arkansas proposed an amendment
which provided for Immediate inde-
pendence. He had been a witness
| to party declarations and had en-
| countered the conflicting opinion.
/ Fine Frankness shown.
With fine frankness his amendment
! provided that "the President is here
! by authorized and directed to with
draw and surrender all right of pos
session, supervision, jurisdiction, con-
troll or sovereignty now existing and
OK xercised by the United States in and
; over the territory and people of the
! OF the United States fully recognize
! the independence of the said Philip
! pines as a separate and self-govern-
| ing nation and acknowledge the au-
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