Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-05

After all this 100 per cent Amer
lean talk, Mr.. Batchelder continued
with a plan to make the Philippine
Islands a commonwealth, connected
with the United States like Canada
is within the British Empire. He
argued that in case the United
States ever Joined the League OF Ma
lions the commonwealth the Philip
pines would have the same status in
the league assembly as has Canada
or Australia-or, he might have
added. as would continental United
States
1t would have one vote in the
assembly, which would blanket our
own one vote. When a question of
the Orient versus the Occident arose
then our voice would be neutraliZed
by that of the Filipinos. Many
people of the Philippine Islands are
Mohammedans and Buddhists and
heather, while others are adherentS
of the Spanish Catholic Church.
Some are still head hunters. They
are dictated to by a few politicians
who are not head-hunters. but are
said to be place.hunters. eager to
displace American officials occupy
ing coveted positions of power and
influence.
Representative J. NJ. Wainwright,
former Assistant Secretary of War.
argued that eventually some form
of dominion status might be grant
ed. but he believed that independence
would be a misfortune and could
easily be disaster to the Filipinos.
Desertion by the United States would
lead to wars In the Far East.
~ - ~ n
In conference this week with
President Coolidge. Mr.. Harvey S.
Firestone, jr., declared that, after
spending several months in the
Philippine Islands. studying the pos
sibilities of production of rubber. he
was convinced that if the land laws
are changed so as to permit extern
sive holdings of territory under one
management, there is an opportunity
, there for producing. on 10 per cent
of the available land, all the rubber
needed in the United States.
"At the present time" said Mr..
Firestone, Great Britain controls II
per cent of the worlds rubber produc-
ton, while the United States produces
only 2 per cent. It takes five years
to grow q producing rubber plant. and
I estimate that in Is years sufficient
the British control
He stated that the island of Min.
danao has 25,000,000 acres of fertile
rubber land.
| The law now limits holdings of land
under one management to $500 acres.
The rubber interests want the privi-
lege of developing 100000 acres on .
lease of IS years.
The Firestone interests have now
in process of development in Liberia,
Africa, 10000 acres of rubber, and
they employ 5000 natives in the cult
walton. Under American control
against imposition of native workers
TO guard against conditions of peon-
age--the rubber industry in the Phil
ippines would revolutionize the coun.
try and give steady wages to all pos
sible labor. But capital will not in
vest without expansive plans, both as
to acreage and time.
y 4 X
In the light of what Mr. Firestone
reports as to the future possibilities,
the words of Norbert Lyons at
the Institute of Politics are especially
interesting. Mr.. Lyons is secretary
of the United States mission of the
American Chamber of Commerce at
Manila. He said In the debate:
development of our foreign trade
is an imperative economic, necessity
in this country Shall we deliberately
hamper it by seriously aba ndoning
our Philippine position of vantage in
this most important competitive for
eign trade area in the world? And
what for? To please the vanity and
crafty the ambitions of a handful of
professional Filipino politicians2"
lconxhsbi- 1a2s. bx- PaiS u -coiiins.l