The Washington times., 1923-10-10
F|L|P|NOS WILL
ASK REMOVAL
OF WOOD
Coolidge Will Be Requested to
Remove Governor as Result
of Special Islands Election.
BY JOHN r. LAMBERT,
CNamop0litan NeMa Service.

OODhOp0AAb81 MOVIE 6OENACOs
President Coolidge will be asked
to remove General Leonard Wood as
encouragement Of the Philippines
as the result Of the special election
held there.
Woods alleged high-handed adj.
ministration, involving his suspected
desire to drive the Filipino govern
ment out Of all profitable business
enterprises and to deliver the people
to the exploitation of foreign bust
ness interests, was the issue OF the
campaign.
The election was held under condi-
lions most favorable to him. 1t
was in the Fourth Senatorial dis.
trict, which includes the city or
Manila, where the American elector-
ate is the largest. The candidates
were Fernandez, who resigned as
mayor Of Manila as q protest
against General Wood, and Judge
Sunulong, Of the Democratic party,
who denounced the expressions
against Wood as ridiculous, frivol-
GUS and fictitious"
In the last preceding election, on
June %, 1922, the Democratic candi-.
date carried the district over the
combined vote Of all other parties
by 15,499. Yet Fernandez, the anti
Wood candidate, has defeated
Woods defender by 10000 votes
and the latest cable advices received
by the Filipino organization here
Indicate the final margin will be
$4,000, turnover Of $4,000 votes.
Coolidge Backed Wood.
President Coolidge had declared
his faith in General Wood largely
because Of the attitude of the Hard
ing Administration. The Filipinos
will approach him with the request
for appointment of q. new governor
general on the ground that the
President has not himself passed on
the issues of the protest and that
the recent special election contains
81 final condemnation Of the Amer
lean governor general by the
Filipino people themselves. Hereto
fore, the Philippine cabinet and
council of state and the senate and
house Of representatives had
adopted unanimously resolutions
against Wood.
The Filipinos have lain down the
political and economic principle thar
the government win go into busi-
ness wherever the private inter-
ests are paying too low wages for
labor, charging excessive prices or
conducting their business inimically
to the public.
They took over the railroads there
because Of those reasons. Under
private management the railroad
systems had collapsed. They had
paid but one dividend in all their
IL r lat
$40O, 900. In the first year OF gov
a net profit of $406 900 and they
nave been conducted profItably ever
since.
Governor Wood attempted to lease
the roads to j. G. White and Com
pany OF No. 81 Wall street. In
fact the lease was drawn. But the
Filipino directors refused to sign It.
They have also declined to lease or
sell their sugar centrals, coal, iron
and cement works, which they
organized to save themselves from
foreign exploiters. Loss OF the
former would throw them into the
grasp of the sugar trust.
The Filipinos have set up a law
which forbids the grant OF more
than sixteen hectares of land to
any individual or more than $500
hectares to any corporation. They
feel that small landowners will
never be serfs. General Wood is
accused by them OF engaging In a
scheme to increase the grants to
$4,000 hectares. Oil spectators are
already boring there. The islands
are rich also in cocoanut oil, highly
sought by the soap manufacturers.
They are also especially incensed
| by the veto of General Wood of
their legislative plan to spend TO-
600, 900 pesos in the next ten years
to broaden their educational pur-
suits. The program was recon-.
mended by the President Of the
University Of the Philippines, Mr..
Benton, q former president of the
University of Vermont. Their
State university has 5000 students.
Filipinos construed General Woods
veto as the attempt of an alien to
keep them from educating them.
selves.
Closing Of Bank.
They say he was justified in
condemning the management of the
Philippine National Bank. which is
governmentally conducted, but his
unwarranted attempt to close it
would have left them at the mercy
OF private capitalists. They loaned
money to Filipino farmers when
sugar was high. The farmers were
unable to meet their notes when
the sugar market dropped, just as
American farmers when wheat they
borrowed on at $3.50 per bushel fell
to 81 a bushel.
Since they repulsed Woods effort
to close the bank, the Filipinos have
paid $3O,O00,000 in loans which
Wood is claimed to have said were
bad. The president of the bank was
found guilty of irregular practices
and Is now, with three of his
subordinates, in the penitentia-y.
Massachusetts, bankers three years
ago Jeopardized more than 0,00O.-
600 In savings and the State closed
five Of their banks but the bankers
are still walking the streeta-