Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-07
COMMENTS ON PHILIPPINES

ALEXANDER sidney Id1lCr, q late
assistant to the lnsular Attorney
General, has communication in the
New York Tribune in which he at
tributes the present situation in the
Philippines to tho Jones bill. He
declares that the author Of this
measure intended it to hasten our
departure from these islands, posses
sion of which he was opposed to-
Indeed he goes so far as to char
acterize it criminal legislation" He
regards the conditions existing there
the direct and inevitable result of
the Jones bill and the incompetent
and inept Mr.. Harrison sent out
there as governor general by Presi-
dent Wilson"
The weight of the evidence is with
to follow the writer's conclusions
. further.
Among these are the following:
The natives were in no way pre-
- pared for the autonomy thus thrust
upon them. and the results are just
what any wayfaring man, etc,
COulu IidN lOleStcIl, VIZ graft anu
corruption in government admins
tration almost to the point of bank
ruptcy; decadence in the public
schools; rctrogreSsion in public
works, in sanitation and public
health measures and administration,
and the consequent enormous in
crease in mortality among the peo-
pie.
1.-THE natives are now practically in
pHhrIIiap thn authOrtIr
and sovereignty of the United States
And in my opinion. Americans in the
islands are in actual physical danger.
which demands that our government
take prompt and effective measures
to deal with the situation and give
them the protection to which their
citizenship entities them. | know
the psychology of the natives, for
I lived among them for nearly five
years. They are but children in
many respects, easily led. highly
excitable and very much given to
rash and unreasoning action that at
times will he accompanied with great
cruelty and savagery.
1T is far easier to give autonomy
to backward people than it is to
withdraw it when once given. and
Cpl, this unwilling act of the Wilson
Administration will remain to plague
us for many day to come.
I'VE should do one of two things
Without delay, viz: Get out of the
islands, bag and baggage, and turn
them over to their own devices,
without assuming any responsibility
20 whatsoever for them by way of q
protectorate or otherwise: or put the
'~ focal government at once in the
hands of competent American Of
hcials. aided by natives to the fullest
extent possible where they are found
So, competent and are willing to CO.
ga. operate with American authorities,
and at the same time couple this
action with a clear-cut definite and
unequivocal declaration by the Con
sress of our poiicv and ultimate in
tentions respecting the islands.
- Cecilia Farwcll writing in the
Forum says that not ono dollar OF
return has ever come from tho
seven hundred million dollars we
have srent over our relationship
~' with the Philippines aud each year
Congress makes an approximation.
Furthermore the Philippines lccis-
lature derives IFS existence and
security from this relationship,
maintains an annual appropriation
of one million pesos for propa ganGa
''i rs Eul ppSC, bllt StNe Ill5 CT lIc
relationship She goes on to tell
how one of our Congressman lent
his official frank for circulating the
Philippine propaganda for tho over
throw Of our control in the
Philippines. Truly this is an absurd
situation.
- 1t is not at all Surprising that Gen
pf1l Wood hDS hic dc n 4
difficult problem. political organ
izatlon in control of tho legislature
that has, as Walter Robb states
in an article in Current History,
frlttered away its gold reserve of
S35,0OO000 in national" move
ment to promote Filipino business
and from an Indebtedness OF Sis
- 100000 gold it has ioaped carelessly
to ono Of nearly 100000, 00O-all in
bonds. actually though not by
specific clause. guaranteed 10y the
United States. al in bonds pur-
chased by American Investors in the
United States. not ono having been
bought Ivy Filipino. Philippine
bonds arc not purchased in tho
Philippines by any enc. because
money is actually worth per cent
per--month on the best of security
r-.- The Philippine National Bank
through which tho gold standard
''iii NdN nllnlllll11pH under
tliipino management which was
again placed under American man
cgement in 1921. but is sti!l strur
Cling to Increase It's assets to some
where in the neighhorhnod of its
liabilities. Government funds can
not he deposited in any othe, bank
nor in this bank now. because of
.a. Its depleted reserves, with the re-
suit that they lie in the Urea surv
along with $4,000 of postal savings
bank funds. drawing no interest
The provinces are entirely witbou.
facilities. Chinese merchants. who
take traders profit out of every.
thing the people buy or sell and
other money lenders take the Mace
OF banks. Charges are high and in
many instances eXtortionate, but the
burden falls upon the "sovernohle
class. The National Bank has
81. round that none of the ordinary
conditions which make real estate
loans In farming districts sound in
vestments in the United States are
r. o be found Except perhaps in rare
instances that prove the rule), in
he Philippines"