The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-01

prefaced his remarks with a very
guarded statement that he was not
sure whether this, the committee
hearing sessions, was the proper place
place where the Japanese question
should be discussed. It may be all
matter of jingoism, but it is in the
American mind and we ought to con-
slider this somewhere.
When Congressman Knutson of
Minnesota, pressed further the point
of the danger Of japanese aggression,
the members of the committee be-
came rather wary and demanded that
all these questions should be stricken
from the record and handled in
executive session.
Want People Kept Ignorant.
Committee Chairman Fairfield of
Indiana, came to the rescue of his
perturbed colleagues by making a
fervid plea that the newspaper men
who have high moral sense" should
not disclose any portion, Of this de-
bate and keep it entirely out of the
records. The committee members
we're apparently greatly disturbed by
the likelihood of the people seeing
thru the Japanese bugaboo that has
continually been raised to prejudice
and confuse the whole Philippine in
dependence issue.
Capital Too Timid."
Weeks made a plea that capital
was ''too timid' to invest in the
Islands as long as conditions were as
unstable as they are today. This
caused Congressman Schaffer to ask:
when in the name of goodness will
capital feel safe enough to invest,
since we are always being told that
this uncertainty of capital is
strong argument against indepen-
dence?" Weeks admitted he could
not answer this question. tho he was
of the opinion that two or four years
was an insufficient period for Amer
lean capitalists to get the necessary
sense of security to inspire their in
vesting their capital in the Islands.
Weeks definitely opposed the extern
sion of native governmental control
in the Philippines, as for instance,
the election by the Filipinos of the
Governor General instead of the
present system of appointment by the
President of the United States. The
Secretary of War said he could see
no other way in which the American
government could retain its present
control of the Islands.
Roxhas Replies.
Speaker Roxhas, representing the
Filipino Independence Mission. then
made very effective reply to the
Secretary of War. Speaker Roxhas
showed that the Philippine govern
ment never appropriated any money
for the investments in the sugar and
oil centrals as had been stated by
Weeks. Mr.. Roxhss showed that the
Head of the Philippine National Bank
mad merely lent some money Of his
own accord and that he was now
serving time in Jail for this act. He
went on to show that the Philippine
government has today more than
thirty million dollars of its national
gold reserve in powerful American
banks chosen by Governor General
Wood. Mr.. Roxhas very ably pointed
out that the financial slump which hit
the Philippine Islands was not due TO
the incompetence of the Philippines
to administer their national economy
but rose from the world wide econo-
mic depression which hit the world
at the close of the War. The trans
actions entered into by the Philip-
pine National Bank were perfectly
good, legitimate transactions at the
time they were contaminated. de-
clared Speaker Roxhas. "The sugar
centrals are today paying every cent
OF interest every year. The Philip-
pine currency is today at par and
often at premium. This is the
condition, at this time, when we are
asking our independence. This
shows very clearly that our govern
ment IS able to maintain peace and
order. Our government is supported
and elected by the people and ;s
meeting all its international oblioa-
lions. Under the present status wo
have reached the maximum of econo-
mic development. Secretary WeeL,
admits himself that the present nm
certainty is harmful to the extens;on
- A-.F~SeAASAeo VI IdplIhl.
I'VE are a people who have
fought several wars for our national
independence and freedom. For
three years we have waged a hopeless
war again the United States for our
independence. We are a people that
can make mature and deliberate de-
cisions. We have given great de-
great liberate thought to this impor-
tant question of our national indie
pendence. We have no fear of the
discussions in our country spoken
OF by the Secretary of War Weeks.
We no longer demand any sacrifices,
monetary or any other, by the Unit
ed States in our behalf. The Jones
Law did not lay down any provisions
or conditions as to our economic in
debtedness or the degree Of perfec-
ton to be attained by US economical
ly before getting our freedom. II we
are to accept the condition Of the
currency as the criterion Of the
worthinaas az national indanend Ion 20