The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-06-20
Coolidge Paves Way for
Rule Of Rubber Tyranny
Over the Filipino People
BY J. LOUIS ENoDAHL.

American flag. 1.-THE colonel" spent
two weeks speaking before the local
camps of the Spanish war veterans
along the Pacific Coast before he set
sail, claiming that he discovered
universal public opinion in this part
of the country in favor Of the United
States keeping the Philippines for
commercial reasons.
Sugar, hemp and copra flow across
the Pacific to western ports, which
in turn ship back export -four and
other commodities needed in the
islands, lucrative trade that is
steadily growing.
But the great hope is that the
Philippines may be made to produce
great quantities Of rubber so that
the United States will be able to
compete successfully with Great
Britain in the world rubber market.
Under the present Filipino land
laws no person or concern can pur-
chase more than $500 acres of pub
lie land. It is claimed that this
would make impossible the produc-
ton Of rubber on large scale, since
at least 10000 acres are needed for
a profitable plantation. The colonel
has already been informed of all
this.
A solution Of this problem is al
ready offered. 1t is the usual solu-
ton of divide and conquer" 1t is
declared that there is basis for
dividing the Philippine archipelago
into two states, one to include the
northern islands, inhabited by the
Christian Filipinos, who it is claimed
constitute a majority Of the popula-
ton, and another to embrace the
southern islands, occupied by the
Mohammedan Moros, numbering
only about 100000. 1t is claimed
that the potential rubber district is
in Mindanao and other Moro Islands.
It Is, therefore, only necessary to
conquer this Mohammedan popula-
ton and force 1t to submit to the
will of an American rubber despot-
ism.
That the Filipinos already feel
the burden OF Wall Street rule is
shown by the fact that the national
supreme council, a coalition of all
Filipino political parties, has disap-
proved of the proposal made by the
American Firestone Tire Corpora
ton, lof Akron, Ohio, that public
lands be leased in tracts of half mil
lion acres or more for so or 75 years
as rubber growing plantations.
The Filipinos know that the plant
ing of rubber trees means the plant
ing also Of American Imperialism
a great deal deeper into the soil of
their islands.
It seems, therefore, that Colonel
Thompson's Job really consists Of
twofold effort:
First: To prepare the way LOT the
division of the Philippine Islands
into two opposing groups.
Second: To bring the group
inhabited by the Mohammedan
Moros under the whip Of an Ameri-
can rubber tyranny that will invoke
the atrocities and horrors of the
Belgian Congo rubber plantations in
order to force servile obedience
from the resentful population.
1t is claimed that United States
troops slaughtered 100000 natives
on the Island of Mindanao in the
war against the Filipino people led
by Aguinaldo, following the ousting
of the Spaniards in 1898. Colonel
Thompson goes to the Philippines,
not to pave the way for the liberia
ton of the islands, but to prepare
new blood baths to force the free
dom-loving Filipino masses into the
role of rubber slaves.
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