The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-02-12
.Quezon Sees Possibility Of
Conflict in Pacific
Ocean,
Ocean,
Times WGshin0toH Bureau,
1922 Nefp YORK. ApenNe


E7ASHINGTON, Feb. ~. ~
|jWl Fresh impetus has been
~ given the independence
movement in the Philippines
through the fear Of being made the
center of q new world war in the
Pacific.
Manuel Quezon, ablest Of Filipino
leaders and president OF the Philip
pines Senate speaking at Manila,
told his hearers that the present
status as an American dependency
constitutes a menace to the islands
security.
"The Pacific Ocean," he said,
may be the scene of the next
world war and the Philippines would
be the first land invaded after
American entrance into the wsr.
Our lands would be devastated and
the Philippines would become veri-
table Belgium. .
Absolute independence, he de-
clared. is the only solution to the
problem.
Leads Washington Mission
Quezon has just returned to the
Philippines after leading the most
ambitious independence mission to
Washington the islands have yet
sent He spent months In the
United States, but failed signally to
advance his cause.
While preaching complete indie
pendence all the time. as an alterna-
tive he was known to favor the
Fairfield bill, calling for the crea-
ton of a Commonwealth of the
Philippines" under the American
flag for twenty years, with independ-
ence, on a Cuban basis, at the end
of that time.
| That is, the Philippines would agree
not to enter into any treaty with
any foreign power tending.to impair
their independence nor allow any
foreign country to obtain Judgment
in. or control over, any portion of
the islands ltlso such military and
naval resers atoms as deemed neces-
sary by the United States might be
retained
This bill. introduced last April by
Representative Louis w. Fairfield of
Indiana. chairman of the House In
sular Affairs Committee. is now gath
ering dust in some pigeonhole of the
Capitol.
League Protection
After his failure here, Quezon
made side trip to Europe. In the
wake of this journey, word came
from certain minor European states
men that if the United States would
withdraw from the islands complete
under the protection of the League
of Nations. Thus might America, re
lieve herself of the danger Of one
day having to fight for her far east.
ern possessions
This scheme has even less chance
of meeting with favor here than the
/ Fairfield plan. In the first place
America, having scorned to associ
I ate with the league on her own, can
not now. consistently desert por
ton of her territory for the league
to take care of while she sinks of
to safety.
In the second place, best opinion
seems to agree that having taken
the Philippines from Spain by force
of arms, the. United States cannot
honorably slip out from under obi
cations thus assumed. league man
date or no league mandate.
Meanwhile the situation in the is
lands themselves is not without its
disturbing features. Native leaders
are becoming more and more out
spoken in their demand for at leas,
a fixing of the status Of the Philip
pines by some definite act at Wash
i ington.
''It is possible that God has de
creed that the Philippines shall re
main forever under the, form of gov
ernment now existing" Quezon il
telling the Filipinos since his return
But will say this: That if the
future hasn't anything in store fol
Ius but the system of government
such as we now have, be it under
American sovereignty or any other
it should never happen with our fret
/ consent. I would rather see oul
country sunk to the bottom of thu
j SeaW