New-York tribune., 1922-05-22
A Missionless Mission

\
Another Filipino mission is com.
ing to the United States TO ask for
immediate independence. The last
mission Of this sort received from
Secretary Baker, speaking on behalf
of President Wilson, an assurance
Of the Wilson Administration deep
sympathy with the independence
movement. This declaration was in
harmony with Mr.. Wilson s policy,
which sought, as long ago a. 1916, to
sever relations between the United
States ard the Philippines. The
President gave his support to the
Clarke amendment TO the Jones
Philippine government bill provid
ing for the hauling down of the
American flag and the turning
adrift of the Philippine people in
the vexed sea Of Far Eastern
politics.
Conditions have greatly changed
since then, and public opinion as to
the dangers Of cutting loose new and
backward nations has been power
fully modified by the experiences in
world reconstruction at Paris. Peo-
pies more advanced than the Filipinos
have been put under international
n =!
rItory. Armenia was to be a man.
dated state. Albania, formerly an
independent kingdom. has had great
trouble in standing alone and has
row gone back under the tutelage
of the League of Nations. With
these examples i'll mind, the judg-
n2ent Of the world has cooled great
Is toward hazardous experiments in
creating politically undeveloped
rationalities.
One of the first tasks Of the Hard
Ing Administration has been to re-
pair the Decentralization caused in
the Philippines by eight years Of
American rule which yielded lar too
much to pressure for full local con.
trol. General Wood is succeeding
admirably IN re-establishing Philip
pine finances. elevatlng the stand
ards of civil government. strength
enlng the judiciary and broadening
the work of the schools. The islands
are recovering their prosperity.
They enjoy 4 stable and efficient
government under American SOW
erelgnty. The plea Of the mission
is not for better government but for
independent government, which is
certain not to he any better but to
become rapidly worse.
In the hearings before the House
Committee on 1nsular Affairs 2
couple of years ago representatives
OF the lndependista party were un-
wiling to say that independence
would bring better practical results
than q continuance of the present
political relation with the United
States. They deprecated, in fact.
complete Independence, limiting that
they would prefer to remain under
American control so far as foreign
affairs were concerned. This attitude
dlscloses the fatal weakness of the
independence agitation. 1t is an
agitation for larger control Of the
offices and of the finances by native
politicians, not based on any expec-
tation Of giving the people of the
islands greater security, more renu-
Inc freedom or better conditions at
home.
Secretary Weeks says that he is
not IN favor of granting immediate
independence to the Philippines and
that President Harding also is not in
favor of it. No time could be less
opportune for change in the char
acter Of the Philippine government.
Nationality is fac and a dream.
The trip Of the new mission to
Washington may prove instructive
TO the delegates who come here. Be-
yond that it is only political junker
q mission without a mission.