Evening star., 1923-10-31

The crisis in the dispute between
Gov Cen Leonard Wood. the Philip
pine Legislature and the advocates of
immediate "seif-government" in the
islands has been brought to a head
through the message sent to Wood by
, President Coolidge through the Sec
retary of War. The administration
pledges anew the hearty and uncon-
, ditional support of the government to
Gen. Wood and fnds that he has not
exceeded or lnisused his powers as
governor general" How the island
, ers will take this statement is thus
made one of the very serious prob
lens of the day. Once again the en-
tire question OF independence has
been precipitated as a topic of nation
vide debate.
NO higher tribute could be paid
to the unseliish diligence and distinc-
tion with which Leonard Wood is
spending and being spent in that far
off country" says the Boston Trans
script (independent republican,. but
agreeing to the importance of the
message. the New York Evening Post
:
ter is "a pro forIna document which
will not greatly shake the nation
alists." The Post is impelled to ques-
tion come Of the Weeks arguments.
because 'at bottom the quarrel does
not concern mere law, but the whole
, spirit OF government" and it eX-
presses the hope that Washington
accompanies its public appreciation of
Gen. Wood with an earnest word OF
private advice" The Duluth Herald
Wood, great colonial administrator
that he is, clearly Is not calming the
unrest over there. Rather his atti-
tude seems - be adding to it. II
would be exceedingly unpleasant to
have the world observe the anonla-
lous spectacle of the land of the free
killing brown brothers because they
seek the freedom which we preach
and profess to exemplify. Especially
, as there is no possible doubt that if
the question of cutting loose from
thu rilippines under almost any con-
ce, lie set of circumstances were
! submitted TO the American people they
would vote yes by an overwhelming
, ma ajoritSs'
-. < x K ,.
The situation is most unfortu-
nate" the Brooklyn Eagle (indp-
pendent demecratic) insists. and "s
sages from Washington summariiy
! dismissing Filipino complaints as un-
worthy of consideration" while the
Des Moines Register Gndependent)
points out "the United States would
! stop long while before it tried to
subject Mexico to military rule. ana
! Mexico is our nearest neighbor. What
will 1t cost to subject the Philippines
to military rule?' The Allentown
Call (republfcan), however, feels the
that "highly organized Filipino poll
ticians are lambasting Gen. Wood as
foreign invader to get the SYM
pathy of the ignorant and preju-
diced" In a way, this Is also the
opinion of the New Haven Journal
governing the islands "is the deli
cate task of managing an ambitious
child The islands left to themselves
would soon be in turmoil"
The philippines are In position to
Omaha World Herald (democratic) sug-
gests, and 1--WE in America have
watched with great interest and no
little distress the unfolding of the
problem of Great Britain there. We
of the blundering policy of English
learned a lesson. The Chicago Trib-
une independent republican, would
"let the little brown brother co.
rather than "pacify them again with
a Krag" To. which the Springfield
republican independently rather
sharply replies, 1.-The irresponsible talk
of possible insurection in the Philip
pines is not to be taken seriously"
The native leaders OF the independ-
ent movement for years past have de-
sired insular independence with an
American guarantee against exter-
nal aggression. but they can hardly
be so simple minded as to think that
any such protectorate involving pos
sibie burdens Of military character
for the American taxpayers in emer-
geneies could be made attractive to
the American people after being CO.
creed to quit the islands by native
uprising against American authority"
IL 4 X i
Because the enterprise of the
Quezonites approaches a threat" the