The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-16
PRESS ON FILIPINOS

so It seems to be the general impression that
 some day the United States will confirm
 Philippine independence. But that does not
 mean that the United States will also bestow
 upon them the boon of self-government. That
 is something they must evolve for themselves. So far, there is little practical demonstration
 of the Filipino ability along this line. Quite
 the contrary. Indeed, the insistent demand ~. that has been coming forth in favor of in dependence for these islands is not proved
 to be of other than political origin. There N are some Filipinos that are very smart. Quite enough smarter than their fellows to
 be able to profit by it. Undoubtedly they
 are the ones who are raising most of this din .s about self-government and the like. The great body of Filipinos appear quite mute
 on the subject, mute because they under z stand little about it, and it doesn't seem to
 matter much one way or the other, as long as they get their yams, rice, plantains, fish, flesh, fowl, or whatever it is they eat Shelter is a matter easily attended to, while f clothing is more a question of vanity and { spride than of necessity. To be sure, the
 F'ilipinos are being educated, but the con-
 summation of that end is surely at least as
 far off there as in America-perhaps further. sA The great body of the people are as yet un- ,isftouched by such influences.
 
 N pinos are in government, the Philadelphia ys Public Ledger remarks that already this year i sGovernor Wood has had to veto 'ihirty bills sas passed by the Filipino legislature, most of sn which planned to spend money without say ing where the funds are to come from" Un- doubtedly the Filipinos are copying too closely s our own congress, which passed bonus bill d without providing the revenue to pay it. The Ledger also tells of the politicians curry ! ing local favor," and finds "that game is as clearly recognized at Manila as at Harris burg" Harrisburg is the arena whereon is & staged Pennsylvania's legislative comedy of ge errors Conditions at Manila must be pretty bad and prove that the Filipinos are not yet ready for self f-government.
 According to the Chicago Daily News: !, "Mr. Coolidge has told the Filipino independ- ence commission that the. agitation for the immediate relinquishment of American con- trol of the island is futile that the Filipinos are not yet prepared to assume complete man. agement of their affairs; that the United States cannot conscientiously wash it's hands of responsibility in the archipelago, and that for the present and a certain indefinite fu- ture period American sovereignty must con- tinue to be loyally accepted and respected by the natives" Whether Mir. Coolidge speaks fully for this government is yet to appear, for, as the News adds: "The house -a seommittee on insular affairs has voted to ! report bill giving the Filipinos independence without delay, provided they grant desired naval bases to the United States, and pro- yided, further, that American loans to the Filipinos be adequately guaranteed against < any form of repudiation.' It is the opinion of the News, however, that "there is no
 chance for the independence bill in the pres 1nf kaHA
 up even if the house should find time to discuss and pass it." Indeed, it is not at ,a, all certain that to grant independence would
 be to do the Filipinos kindness, until they
 become better organized and develop a more
 nationalistic feeling.
 Ss, It is the belief of the Detroit Free Press that, eff the Filipinos are serious in their r plans for urging the passage of an insular
 independence bill at this session of congress,
 they are certainly using poor strategy when
 they start the organization of a trade boy m colt of American goods and of American s newspapers published in the Philippines . < sNo people dislike being coerced or forced ! more than the people of the United States
 do, and the announcement that the politi- . eians in Manila are trying to put the screws V on, is likely to harden the United States
 against making any concession at all at this
 time. Besides this, the move will be taken as an evidence that the people of the islands are still decidedly juvenile and not in a stage of development which makes them compe- x. tent to govern themselves" Undoubtedly, the Filipinos, in a fit of petulance at having !! been denied their request, have been very
 naughty.
 ~, That the American public sentiment is fa-
 yorabIe to independence in due time is the view of the Washington Star: "Undoubt-
 edIy a strongly sympathetic feeling for the
 Aspiration of the Philippine people for in- dependence prevails in this country. Nat
 nrally a nation founded as was this upon a - desire for autonomous government would be partisan to the same desire on the part of a
 people long held under suzerainty by an alien .1e mower But yet much remains to be
 done. if it can ever be safe for their sakes
 to leave them to their devices as wholly
 masters of their own fates."
 g. Approval of President Cooldge's reply is
 voiced by the Hartford, Connecticut, Cou-
 rant, while the New York Evening Post ob- < serves as to the Filipino delegation to Wash ]. fe ington: Their presence indicates that they sS do not understand the best interests of the an Filipiuo people; and the purpose of their coming-to protest against Governor Woods exercise of his executive powers-shows that ( they do not appreciate representative public ga institutions, especially that of checks and
 balances which aims to prevent just such j. ssencroachn,ent by the legislative branch upon 'sb the executive as the Filipino legislature has been attempting" But then, perhaps tho
 F'ilpinos are not contemplating a republic such as ours.
 Other newspapers set forth about the same
 opinion. All concede the duty of the United .tates some day to free the Philippines, but pnost also agree that this government has
 endertaken a responsibility which it cannot
 yurn loose until it has fulfilled it's trust
 That trust is first to guide the FilipnOs ir
 gelf-government, education and civilization
 until they are able to cope, not only witl
 their internal, but also with their externa
 problems.