Evening star., 1923-05-09
Te the Editor Of The Star:

Is the Editor Of The Star:
When rightly understood, that Is
a marvelously illuminating dispatch
from Manila that you print today on
your first page.
It says that Senators, representa-
tiyeS prominent officials In Washing
tqa,aSawyers. lecturers and writer's
in tHe United States, who have been
consistently advocating independence
for the Philippines. have been receiv-
ing payments running into five fig
ures from the fund" annually appro-
priated by the Philippine Legislature
in aid Of the Independence cause and
expended under the direction of the
official independence commission.
Among the recipients of this radiant
larGesS I am entertained to discover
that I am one, and as 1 am the only
one that is named J am flattered with
the suggestion that the amount in my
case may be very large-perhaps
running even above five tigures."' 1t
appears that further light is TO be
expected about this important matter,
because Gov. Gen. Leonard Wood.
having been inceused by Il letter of
mine In the Philippines Herald. is
about to reveal the shocking and hor-
rtbla. things hidden in the records
concerning these payments, and the
intfmation is that then the American
people Will understand the real in
spiration back of the independence
movement in the United states.
Story Told in Minute.
So far as ] am concerned, he can
reveal until he is blue in the face.
The whole story OF my dealings
with the Independence cause can be
told In about one minute.
In June, 1920, the resident commits
to the United States, Messrs. De
Veyra and Gabaldon. came to me of
their own motion and, without any
suggestion on my part. proposed that
/ should go TO the Philippines and
make a sociological survey of the
conditions existing there. To under
take such work was my business, my
trade, craft. profession. meter or
whatever you may please to call 1t.
For many magazines. newspaper
syndicates and book publishers 1 had
been doing work OF this kind for
sixteen years. 1 had made such sur
reys Of England. France. Germany.
Italy, Switzerland. Austria, India.
Japan. The commissioners proposed
that for their syndicate service I
should write such articles about the
Philippines as 1 had previously writ
leu dDOuL lIleSS ClHer countries.
Articles at Fixed Price.
7 accepted their offer on the terms
Y was accustomed TO ask i'll such
cases, my expenses to be provided
and my articles to be bought L q
fixed price. 1t was carefully stipulat-
ed, many times repeated and perfect
ly understood on both sides, that ]
was to write whatever l found and
exactly as I found it I had never
theSa missions
any other basis.
I left Washington the last week
in November, 1890. I traversed the
Philippine Islands and studied their
forwarded to the Philippine Press
Bureau, Munsey building, Washing
ton. D. c., eleven articles embodying
the results of my observations. I
returned to Washington the second
week In May. 1921. About May 16
] presented to the director of the
press bureau a full account ofs my
expenses with vouchers, and two days
later received from him a clearance
OF the entire account.
The whole business is on file at the
office Of the Philippine Press Bureau,
and think will be exhibited to any
body that asks to see it,
Only Received 1880.
When your reporter saw me today
I could not recall tho exact figures,
but was sure that the amount / re-
ceived was less than $4,000. I have
since found tho record and verified
IL from the books of the Philippine
Press Bureau, which handled all the
money. These show that first and
last on this account I received from
the independence fund the munificent
sum OF $2,750, to cover all my travel
ing and other expenses and the arti-
cles wrote. Twenty-four weeks OF
absence, $4,000 miles of travel and
arftn1aG-Sp iS
any substance in the story your dis
patch contains that there is all this
easy, money to be had for the sup
porting OF Philippine independence
and mon are getting SO much of it,
these figures seem to indicate that
am not much OF a success as a
CRATER. but have brilliant prospects
as q darn fool.
Eon, president Of the Philippine SEN
ate came to tho United Suites ON