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

titled to a good name and
equation in its action in the
Philippines" said Mr.. Weeks.
The Secretary went on to talk of
the great freedom the Filipinos were
enjoying under the American flag.
eve cannot lightly relieve ourselves
Of our obligation to the Filipino peo-
pie and of our international reputa-
ton and credit"
Mr.. Weeks laid great emphasis on
the proximity of Manila to the Bri-
fish, Japanese, French and Chinese
interests and ports.
Big American Investments.
The total American investments in
the Islands can be divided along the
following lines, said the Secretary of
War: $70,000,00O in government
bonds held in this country and tax
exempt from all Federal, State and
municipal laws. (2) about $25,000.-
900 in railroad interests; (3) about
one and a half million dollars in tele-
graph and telephone interests and az
about fifteen million dollars on other
interests. There is invested extern
sively British Chinese, and Spanish
capital in the Philippines. The pro-
blem of immediate independence is
so vitality interlocked with the ma
terial welfare of the whole Filipino
people that the question arises, said
the Secretary Of War, whether suf-
lficient, mature consideration has
been given to the matter by the Fill
Pine nation" He said further: "The
present demand for complete, i'm
mediate independence is not express
sive Of the best interests and the
wishes of the Filipino people"
There can be no greater tempta-
ton to the nearby overcrowded peo-
pie than the present situation under
which there exist vast tracts of I'M
cultivated lands. 1T is my opinion
that the greatest need of the Filipino
people today is capital to develop
their natural resources"
Wants Support For Wood.
The Secretary of War made a
strong plea for the development of a
disposition on the part of the Fill
Pine leaders to obey the law and CO.
operate with the Governor General
Wood" He commended repeatedly
that the Philippines would suffer
great economic loss thru their being
declared independent. The Filipinos
complete national regional unity and
in exploiting their great resources
and placing their goods on the world
market was the contention of Weeks.
Weeks laid considerable emphasis
on the alleged illegal manner in
which the Philippine legislature was
supposed to have handled the native
governments gold reserve when
money was invested in the develop
ment of sugar and oil centrals.
Schaffer For Filipinos.
At this point Congressman Schaf-
fer of Wisconsin asked the Secretary
of War, whether it was not fact
the American Governor General was
there at the time the gold reserve
was handled in this fashion and that
therefore he should be held at least
as much responsible as any one else.
Weeks replied that he was not sure
about the law and that he would have
to look it up before answering the
question. Then Congressman Schaf-
fer protested against this matter be-
ing introduced into the record. The
| Congressman went on to declare that
the control of the vast land domain
by the government, spoke rather well
for the ability Of the Filipino people
to govern themselves. at is better
for them to hold on to this land than
give it away to the big corporations
as those headed by Doheny and Sin
clair" said Mr.. Schaffer. This re-
mark brought smile from General
Mcintyre. Weeks replied very feebly
by saying that he used this point
merely as an argument about the
Islands great resources being ire
mendous temptation to the adjoin-
ing countries. Weeks was forced to
admit that the three political parties
of the Philippine Islands were all for
independence but he deplored the
failure of the native leaders to CO.
operate with General Wood.
Demands Protection For Capitalist
Investors.
| In the course OF the questioning
Of him by several members of the
committee, Secretary of War Weeks
disclosed the real basis Of the Amer
lean imperialist designs on the Philip
pines. He declared very frankly:
Before giving the Philippines indie
pendence, some provisions should be
laid down to make the bonds, $780,
100000, held by American investors,
as safe as they were when they were
issued. When these bonds were is
sued it was assumed by the investors
that they were safe. We should
guarantee their continued safety now
as they were at the time they were
taken up by the investors" The
Secretary Of War admitted, however
that this point Of view involves mere
ly moral obligation rather than a
legal one. General Mcintyre agreed
that the ruling Of Attorney Generals
to date have been also that this was
more Of moral obligation on the
| part of the Government than legal