The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-25
Calls Islands Ready for
Freedom.
To the Editor. The Washing ton Herald

To the Editor. The Washington Herald:
We have read your editorial If
the 3rd instant entitled "Eilipinos
Must Wait" based on the Wood
Forbes report, in which you state.
among other things the follow
ing:
The conclusions and recommen-
dations of the wood-Forbes mis-
sion to the Philippine Islands will
not be approved by the irreconcil-
liable Filipino advocates of indie
pendence: they will not be approved
by those in the United States who
urge that our best solution OF the
Philippine problem is to get out of
the islands at once and complete
ly."
Have the Filipino people already
established a stable government?
This is the only Issue, and this is
the only condition REQUIRED by the
United States Congress before the
Philippine independence is granted.
This is the only issue to watch
We call the attention Of the Amer
lean people for serious consiGera-
ton.
Judged on a regularly accepted
standard of governments. tic Fili-
pinos' showing during the last five
years of solf-government concIu-
sively prove that they have already
maintained the stable government
required by the autonomy act ap-
proved by Congress in August, 1910.
The report itself states that the
progress of the Filipinos during
these years has been phenomenal"
all this is due to efficient admin
istpation OF the Islands affairs.
During the last five years native
Filipinos have composed the Gov
ernor's cabinet: they have beet the
responsible heads of nearly all bu-
reaus. The Wood-FUrbcs report
criticiscs our administration of jus
tice: but we contend that our courts
will compare favorable with those
in any other part of the United
States. Justice administered in the
Archipelago is as free from re-
proach as here in the maInlanG.
The chief justices of the Supreme
Court of the Philippines have al
ways been Filipinos from its very
beginning.
The Filipino people have studied
American history in their schools
for twenty-one years and still have
confidence in the integrity OF the
American people. Our only fear is
that the present apathy and indif-
ference on the part of the Ameri-
can public will place too much
power in the hands of those i'm
perialists who do not believe with
Thomas jefferson. That the peo-
PIE of every country are the only
safe guardians of their own
rights"
The Nacionalista Party. comp"s-
ing about IS per cent OF the Fill
pino law-makers. contains in its
platform recently adopted. the fol-
lowing: Supreme Ideal of the party
We declare frankly, openly and
decidedly in favor of immediate. alb
solute and complete independence
OF the Philippine Islands" You.
therefore. will see that IL Is not all
insignificant few that advocate for
complete independence.
The meeting of the big powers in
Washington affords this nation a
chance to announce to the whole
world the fulhllment of her solemn
pledge as enunciated by Mckinley.
Roosevelt, Taft. and Wilson to give
the Philippines her Independence.
President Harding said, The world
needs the example of kept obliga-
ton" and what nation Is more TT
ted to give this example than the
United States of America by set
ting up daughter republic in the
Far East-a Christian. Democracy
of the United States type?
Philippine Press Bureau.
BY E.. B. RODRIGUEZ,
Acting Manager.