Evening star., 1926-05-16
RY RALPH STOUT.
Managing Editor. Kansas City st

Americans came. 1t has had
it's ups and downs its periods of qui
escence and of activity.
The vitality of this demand for indie
pendent national existence was thus
expressed several years ago by Sergio
osmena, in one of the frequent petit
tons to the United States:
The Filipino people aspire today as
before taking up arms for the second
time against Spain, as thereafter in
he din Of arms and then in peace, for
their national Independence. The
phrase immediate independence en-
s;raVed on the banner of the majority
j. not new: it has not been invented
only today, nor does it signify a new
idea. The phrase, immediate independ-
ence, the present slogan of the Fill
plnO people. has been their slogan al
ways, and embodies and signifies their
true aspiration. that aspiration which
has not suffered mutation nor change.
which has not even cooled, which has
not been forgotten by the sons of the
country for even a moment through
all the adverSitieS suffered and all
the ViCiSSitudeS that have arisen; ii
has not been forgotten. no. this ideal
has not dimmed. not even at the mo-
ment of taking the oath of allegiance
% the constituted government, because
that allegiance does not repudiate our
fidelity to America permits us TO be
rue to our conscience as tilipinoS.
Ia ollr sacred desire for our national
independence.
Directed by Acute Minds.
All along the agitation has been di-
rected by acute minds; by men who
have studied the mental psychology of
the American people. who know how
the picture of a people struggling for
independence seiZes the sympathy of
the great mass of United States citi-
zens: who know what to play up and
what to play down what to eXpa-
tiate upon and what to conceal and
who naturally cannot agree with the
conviction of Americans. who know
the F'ilipinos and the Philippines.
that independence would he the worst
thing that could happen to these
brown people. Malay in foundation.
hut with much Chinese and Spanish
blood mixed in among the educated
CaSSeS.
Filipino independence was the
WatChWord of the AgunaldO rebel
lion against the United States after
Commodore Dewey had. in the stress
of war. brought back to the islands
the old leader who had sought refuge
in HongkonG after accepting a bribe
of S400, 900 from Spain to lay down
arms.
Say 1t Was Promised Often.
The F'ihpinos have grounds for their
oft-repeated claim that they have been
promised independence There were
words from many public men, from
Mckinley, from Taft, from Roosevelt,
which can be construed into a promise
of complete Independence which prob
ably has been the ultimate purpose of
the Amerie'n people. But never eX-
cept in the Wilson admnj9 ration has
there been an act hE the only body
entitled to speak with authority. the
American Congress. That act was the
preamble to the Jones law. the or
Ganic act which gave tie t'ilipinos the
largest measure of independence they
had had. It's exact language is worth
reproduction. Here it is:
Whereas it was never the inten-
ton of the people of the United States
in the incipiency of the war with
Spain to make il a war of conquest
or for territorial aggrandiZement; and |
Whereas il is. as Il always has !
heen, the purpose of the people Of the !
United States 10 withdraw their sover- !
eighty over the Philippine Islands and |
10 recognize their Independence as !
soon as stable government can he eS- .
tabishcd thorein and
Whereas for the speedy accom- |
plishment of such purpose il is desir- /
able to place in the hands Of the poo- |
pie of the Philippines; as large a con- /
troll of their domestic affairs as can he /
given them without. in the meantime.
impairinG the exercise of the rights |
of sovereignty by the people of the |
United States, IN order that. by the /
use and exercise OF popular franchise |
and governmental powers, they may |
he the better prepared to fully assume
the responsibilities and enjoy all the |
privileges of complete independence"
But Is IT "Stable Government"
The Jones law went into effect in /
1916 In December. 1920. in his last
message to Congress- written after the |
overwhelming defeat of his party in /
the elections of that Fall. President |
Wilson gave the F'ilipinos testimony |
that they had succeeded in maintain
ing a stable government" since the .
passage of the Jones act, four years |
before, and had fulfilled the condition |
set by Congress as Il consideration OF |
granting full independence to the |
islands,
Right there is the heart of it all: i
Have the Filipnos established stable |
government?
President Harding and President |
Coolidge have said they have not.
Americans in the islands say the !
government is far from stable. They |
point to the reckless use of the greater |
autonomy granted the Filipinos by the |
Jones act and the story of the eight |
years of the Harrison administration, |
at the end of which the island money |
system and the inSuar finances were |
ON the brink of ruin; to the reckless |
use of governmental power for selfish |
private ends; to the intOlerable cor |
ruption of the courts as proof that the |
F'ilipinoS are as yet unfit for full in |
dependence If ever that day shall
arrive, they say, there must be more |
satisfactory demonstration of capacity
than has been furnished.
Harding and Coolidge Say "NO."
In 1922 President Harding turned
down a request for independence pre-
sented by Filipino mission, holding
the people of the islands had not yet
shown they were ready for the mo- f,
mentOuS step.
Early in 1924 another independence |
mission visited the White House. Its
fate with President Coolidge was the
same. This mission charged Gov. Gen. |
Wood with illegal. arbitrary and un-
democratic policies which brought
from the President the reply that the |
american Government had full conh- |
dence in the ability good intentions,
fairness and sincerity of the present |
governor general"
"A fair appraisal of all considera- |
tions," President Coolidge said to the !
mission, land of others which suggest |
themselves, will. | am sure, justify the |
frank statement that the Government |
of the United States would not feel |
that it had performed its full duty by |
the Filipino people or discharged all |