Evening star., 1926-10-24
RY VICENTE &. BI'NTAN
Director. Washington Office phihnn;ro 70
mlssInn nf Inde nen lan.a -

IN HE economic resources of the
Phlllpplnes were stressed bv
Col. Carmi Thompson in his
1areWell message to the Fill
pinos. and the American press.
IN commenting upon it. has empha
elzed our great possibilities for rubber
production with a view to relieving the
American situation.
AL the outset it should he stated
that the Filipinos are desirous of helr.
ing America solve her rubber problem
The restriction in our land laws Is ap-
Plfcable TO all, Filipinos included. for
" was designed to protect our country
from concentration of huge tracts of
land In the hands of few, knowing
full well that that country is happiest
ana most peaceful which has it's ma
tlonal wealth evenly distributed This
policy reflects the conservation era of
America s history, and was impla anted
In the Philippines by Congress itself
when 1t passed the Philippine organic
ect Of 1902, which contained provisions
even more rest rictive than those in the
present law. In so far as the Philip
pines are concerned. it is distinctly
American both in concept and appli
cation and. naturally and expectedly,
was heartily embraced by the Filipinos.
Big Holdings Harmful.
w UH IedSon, IneN accepted THIS
policy. The disa strous effects of i'm
mense land holdings in the Philippines
during the Spanish regime, causing
the American Government itself to
send William Howard Taft to Rome
In 1907 to negotiate with the Pope for
the purchase by the Philippine gov
ernment of the vast friar lands that
they might he sold in small parcels to
the tenants: the sufferings of peoples
. h. oil e.,
lN conditions now existing in the rub
her areas of the Congo and Amazon
forests and the present conflicts in
Mexico are too far-reaching not to
serve us valuable lesson. We can
visualize what might happen in the
Philippines by the present situatio in
Mexico as described by President Gales
In his article in the October issue of
Foreign Affairs II we gave way to the
pressure being brought upon us to
open our national wealth to unlimited
investments.
Quotes President Gales.
In this article President Gales says.
In part:
IF one bears In mind that Mexicans
possess less than one-third of the total
wealth of the country, one can easily
understand ywhv so frequently in the
resolution Of Mexican problems. which.
Of course, have always had marked
economic character. we have friction
or difficulties \ ither With foreign gov
ernments defending the interests of
their countrymen who consider them
selves affected by our constitutional
laws. or with Mexican landowners con-
trolling endless tracts of land And
II on~ considers. furthermore, that Of
the thlrd part of the national wealth
owned a.
least, has heen and still is in the hands
Of Catholic priests or religious insti-
tutionS or orders of the Catholic
Church, one can understand why we
always have rebelhons."
Yet the restrictions in our nd laws
are such that development of our rub
ber lands of moderate size holdings Is
possible. An individual or corpora
tion may. under the present law, pur-
chase $500 acres and lease an equal
amount for n period of 25 years sub
Ject TO renewal for two additional 25
years. This provision is neither too
restrictive as to make impossible the
growing OF rubber of not too ambitious
proportions. nor too liberal to convert
= us into victims OF exploitation. 1t is
what may be termed a middle ground
I'm this connection the report of~the
committee authorized by Congress to
investigate rubber growing in the
Philippines. entitled possibilities for
Para Rubber Production in the Phil.
ippine Islands," says: THE present
land laws. designed to retain a diff
fused and ownership. do not lend
themselves to large capital corpora
tions in rubber lands. Nevertheless
moderate size plantati are possible
with foreign capital and. moreover.
the small native planter might be-
come producer Of important future
supplies"
Holds Present Law Good.
Dr James W. Strong. vice president
and general manager of the American
Rubber Co. Of Mindanao. who has
been in the rubber business in the
archipelago for the last 81 years. in
an article in the June, 1926 issue of
the American Chamber of Commerce
Journal of the Philippines. SAYS:
There is no reason why America can
not grow her own rubber in the Phil.
ippine Islands under present condi
tions. The present land law per.
mits the buying of $500 acres and the
leasing Of an equal amount. This area
is a good economic unit Were IL per-
missible to hold larger areas, they
would certainly he split up into SINH
lar sizes for advantageous manage
ment. Why not start il off in that
way?"
That large-SCale production is even
possible under The present law may
he seen from the following sueges-
tion from Filipino leaders. who are
making every effort to aid America
in solving her rubber problem: t'inanc-
Ing by American capital OF corpora
tions 10 purchase lands within the