Evening star., 1924-01-23
in TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

The cables are burdened with bad
news from the Philippines. One day
We hear that there is a general con-
| spfracy OF revolt against the admin
/ istration of Governor General Wood
but it is denied the next. Another
day the news comes that the Moros
have rebelIed and are attacking the
constabulary: again that the "Colu-
| rum" are defying the forces Of the
Filipinos and that Governor General
Wood had sent an expedition against
t the "revolutionaries" with orders that
they are to be fired upon unless they
| disperse within forty-eight hours.
| What is the cause of this alleged
unrest? Is 1t part of an agitation in
| connection with the efforts Of the
Filipinos to become independent of
American rule? Why do the islanders
want to throw off American connec-
! ton? Is it certain that the masses of
the prosperous and Intelligent Fill
pinoS do want freedom from America .
If So on what terms Of settlement
for all that the Philippines have cost
the United States during the twenty
! five years of our goyernmente 10
! they want absolute independence, or
merely autonomy under American
protection?
From the American standpoint. it
is easier to conceiye why. the United
States would acquiesce in granting
immediate independence to the Phil
ippines, than to understand why the
FilipInos would seek that freedom
POSSESSION of the islands since the
Spanish war has cost this nation
many million tioIlars-though not the
t0p,Qto goo sometimes asCribed by
including all the co t OF the Spanish
war and the Filipino insurrection and
the cost OF administration for a
quarter OF q century.
American business enterprise has
railed to manifest adequate interest
in the supposed opportunities exist
ing there, for manufactures or for
commerce with China, Japan, India
land Australia, yet many of our com
mercial leaders point to a future of
VERY great possibilities when Manila
may become the trade base for Amer
lean commerce reaching to the orient
like the fingers of hand from the
pulse in the Philippine metropolis.
After twenty-five years there are
few American enterprises in the is
lands and Governor General Leonard
Wood writes under date Of last Noyen-
ber II:
Unless American financial and
business men interest thems elves in
the Philippine Islands, in the oppor-
+ tuniiies presented there ia a way to
secure to the United States rea on
able advantages from our c"nnec-
tion with the islands, the question
will eventually be settled while
hesitatin6 as to methods to be pur-
sued ny radical action granting to
the F'iiipiuos what they now pray
for, weakly hoping 10 be denied
X u j:
One Of the chief products of the
islands is sugar, and during the last
. fiscal year the islands exported 205, 600
tons, but only 1928 tons were ham
died by Americans double that
amount by an English company.
nearly four times as much by Phil
ippine compapny and almost as much
by Chinese. Under the persent tariff
the United States gives the Philip
pine sugar d preference OF approx
mateiy SIS a ton over other imports of
sugar. Lack of American participa-
ton in the next item of Importance
tobacco and cigars--ts as notable as
i. IS in sugar
Free trade prevails between the
Philippines and the United States,
which would not continue to exist il
the islands became independent. AL
! though the government has held out
all possible incentives for the de-
yalopment of the islands by American
finance. the field has been largely
/ left to others. Hence, if indep@nd-
ence arrives for the islands even
! what interest now holds in this coun-
try would be likely to wane, and
when the ties are separated there is
! little prospect that any effort would
/ be made to retain concessions for the
building of American enterprises
there This Is referred to as proof
that any argument against present
severance of political ties is not
actuated by American seif-interest.