The Washington times., 1923-08-15
kALAW PLEADS
FOR F|L|P|N
FREEDOM
Native Says Issue Is Between
MiIitarism and Responsible
Government.
By TEODORO M. KAI4AW.
Executive Secretary and Chief Adviser.
Phlllippine Commission Of
ImHAvNANnNAvN~A


1nuoVDMOOuC0s
Cable to Cosmopolitan News Service.
MANILA, P. l.. Aug. 15.-Now
that the Institution of Politics in
annual session at Williamstown
Mass, has taken up the subject
Of Philippine independence, and In
view Of the fact that President
Coolidge viii soon be asked to
decide on the merits of the present
crisis in the Islands. / desire to
present to the American people
through Cosmopolitan News Ser.
vice the case as it looks to US
The present crisis IL the direct
outcome Of a conflict between two
| well-known political systems-re-
sponsible government and imperial.
ism.
Responsible government means a
government by the governed and
is based on capacity to investigate
facts. know them and to then apply
the proper remedy.
Imperialism is q government by a
sovereign power that ignores the
counsel Of the governed.
FilipinOs Would Control.
Responding to the spirit and letter
of the Jones law, which confers upon
the FilipinoS the utmost degree of
domestic autonomy. the Philippine
legislature created a system of gov
eminent whereby the control of in.
ternal affairs is virtually in Filipino
hands.
The executive departments were
reorganized in order to be occupied
by FilipinoS. There was brought
0InGa0f Io1A A.
legislature and the secretaries Of de-
partmentS to the end that the latter
may ever be inspired by the former
in their Official acts. Agencies Of the
popular will, such as the Council of
State and the Board Of Control. were
made advisory to the governor gen.
eral in order that he may act always
in conformity with the desires Of the
representatives Of the people and
with the peoples welfare solely in
view. Care was particularly taken
that the closest cooperation should
exist between the legislature and
executive departments, as well as
the consciousness of their Joint
responsibility. iFa order to i'm
press upon the minds of the seer
taries OF departments that, in fact,
they were not responsible to the gov
ernor. an appointee of the sovereign
power but to the Filipino people
they are called upon to serve.
System Preceded Wood.
This is, In essence, the system Of
responsible government that was
actually in operation in the islands
before the coming Of General Wood,
But Governor Wood had in mind
q system of government entirely
different, and, desiring to carry It
out. he naturally encountered two
obstacles in the way: First. the in.
Struments Of power already in the
hands OF the Fflipinos, and second,
the very Jaw itself that protects the
Filipinos from any possible usurpa.
lions by the chief executive.
The only course open to the gov
ernor, therefore. was to do away
altogether with those instruments
OF power and to ignore said legisla.
ton, as in effect he did, invoking for
himself what he terms his "consti'
tutional authority"
But the Filipino people realize
that what has been conceded them
| by law and by presidents are pre-
cious constitutional acquisitions
| which they cannot afford to sur
render without being unworthy OF
! them; hence they made this issue
against the governor their own
issue.
To my mind there can be but one
final solution OF the conflict-com
plete political emancipation Of the
EriilulY1nc