Evening star., 1923-11-19
F|L|P|NOS T0PRESS
AIMS ON CONGRESS
Advance Guard of Independ-
ence Advocates Due Soon.
Wood Attacked.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Washington is about to become the
scene of an insistent and concerted
drive for Filipino independence. 1t
will be, made both on. the floor of
Congress and before the American
public. The island nation is sending
it's ablest advocates to tho United
States for that purpose.
special mission, headed by Man
uel Roxas, speaker Of the Philippine
house of representatives. Is now on
the Pacific and is due in Washington
early in December. Isauro Gabaldon,
one OF the two Filipino resident
commissioners" accredited to the Amer
lean Congress, will return from Ma
nila In a few days. in time to take
his seat in the House for the next
session. Senior Gabaldon comes with
special instructions from the Philip
pine government to initiate a vigor-
Gus campaign for independence in
Congress. The resident commission
ers' have the right of unlimited
speech in the House. but no votes.
Que1on Comes Later.
Later in the winter the famous
Filipino nationalist leader, Manuel
Quezon, will arrive in Washington to
lead the independence movement here
Senior Quezon is president of the
Filipino senate. He is well known in
the United States. having once been
a resident commissioner" and also
having headed an earlier indepen-
dence campaign.
Filipino politicians do not conceal
that the independence movement has
attained unprecedented momentum
because of dissatisfaction with Gen.
Leonard Woods regime at Manila.
The islands are depicted by the gov
ernor generals detractors as being
in mood for formal revolt against
his administration.
Few responsible Filipino leaders
think of attempting to achieve in
dependence through an armed insur-
rection. Apart from realizing the
probable hoplessness of such VEN
ture, the people prefer to pin their
hopes on Americas readiness to carry
out the "organic law" of the islands,
viz. the Jones act of 1920. That act
definitely pledged the United States
to give the Filipinos independence
as soon as they demonstrated their
capacity to maintain stable govern
ment.
Cite American Pledge.
Evidently it Is the purpose of the
Filipino missions now headed toward
Washington to persuade the Congress
and people of the United States that
such conditions now exist. They will
ask America, in other words, to
make good" on the promise held out
by the Jones, act. They are going to
recall the words Of President Roose-
Welt in 1915: I'VE cannot taint our
purpose in the Philippines with bad
faith. If we act so that the natives
understand us to have made definite
promise, then we should live up to
that promise"
The Filipino independence advo-
Gates are going to cite President
wilson's words Of 1913, too: I'VE re-
gard ourselves as trustees. acting
not for the advantage of the United
States, but for the benefit of the
people of the Philippine Islands.
Every step we take will be taken
with a view to the ultimate inde-
pendence of the islands and as a
preparation for their independence"
Filipinos now in Washington
charge that Gen. Wood is turning
back the clock of governmental
progress" in the islands by "curtail-
(Continued on Page 2, Column g.