Evening star., 1924-03-06
Filipino Independence.


President Coolidges reply to the
delegation of Filipinos who recently
presented resolutions that had been
adopted by the Philippine legislature
asking for immediate independence is
q sound and statesmanlike presenta-
tion Of the case that, while imme-
diately perhaps unacceptable at Ma
Mia, must impress the people of the
archipelago as inspired by motives
of the highest consideration for their
welfare. Briefly stated, the President
holds that the time has not yet come
for complete autonomy for the islands.
Grave economic and political disor-
ders, perhaps even amounting to dis
aster, would in his view, result from
the withdrawal of American support
and protection. At present the Fill
pino people are unable to maintain the
financial burden that culd be i'm.
posed by political indie r,ndence and
lack the political capat ty necessary
to the people of a min nation, as
suming the full responsibility of main
tanning itself in the family of nations
Undoubtedly strongly sympathetic
feeling for the aspiration of the
Philippine people for independence
prevails in this country. Naturally
a nation founded as was this upon a
desire for autonomous government
would be partisan to the same desire
on the part of people long held
under suzerainty by an alien power.
But, as has been made plain to this
country; the Filipinos, to call them by
their broadly inclusive name. are not
a homogeneous people. They com
prise many elements, some Of which
are mutually antagonistic to degree
which menaces peace in the archi-
pelago, even under a strong central
government not wholly identified with
any group. Between the Tagalogs of
Luzon and the Moros of the southern
islands there is strong religious
antipathy. The Tagalogs. usually the
most intelligent and advanced Of the
people of all the islands, are nu-
merically in minority.
Great advance has been made by
the Filipino people since the American
occupation. In quarter of century
education has been spread widely, a
new generation has come with a
higher conception of the duties and
responsibilities of citizenship. A long
step forward has been taken, due TO
the kindly care of the American ad-
ministration. But yet much remains
to be done, if it can ever be done,
to bring the population to the point
of political capacity where it will be
safe for their sakes to leave them
to their devices as wholly masters of
their own fates.
Only recently the need of a strong
central authority in the government
of the islands has been shown in the
outbreaks in the Moro regions, where
fanaticism has developed and punitive
expeditions have been necessary. 1t
is no reflection upon the more adj
vanced of the Filipino people to hold
that they could not maintain order in
such circumstances if left to their
own resources. Moreover. as events
have shown, there is lacking still that
economic sense in government which
is essential to the maintenance of
stable administration.
Ali these things may come in time.
It Is the hope Of the American peo-
pie that they will come, that the
Filipinos will continue to advance
rapidly toward the point of full ability
to govern themselves without dan.
gerous domestic disorder, without
financial embarrassment and without
inviting foreign aggression through
helplessness. President Coolidge's
statement of the case holds out this
hope while expressing a kindly but
firm denial of the immediate aspira-
ton of the wards of the United States.