Evening star., 1926-05-02

years. The bill had gone to the
| House.
| Frightened the Filipinos.
| The Filipino representatives. fright
ened at the prospect Of withdrawal OF
American protection, but acting under
| cover, opposed the Clarke amendment.
| Cablegrams passed between Filipino
| leaders in Manila to their representa-
| tives in Washington, men who are vo-
| ciferouS now and have been for years
In the demand for full independence,
beseeching the defeat Of the Clarke
amendment.
A year or so later, because OF a
| break between the two leaders, Os-
| mena and QueZon, Osmena placed on
! file in the Legislature copies of tele-
,, grams from Quezon. on the ground in
Washington, to Osmena in Manila.
asking that cablegrams be sent from
Manila to Washington advising ur
gently the defeat Of the Clarke amend
ment for immediate independence.
These messages from QueZon have
since disappeared from the files. but
not until several had read them. The
Legislature, as matter Of fact, keeps
to this day no record of it's proceed
ings.
The Clarke amendment was de-
feated in the House and by the votes
of Democratic congressman pledged to
Filipino independence by their party
platform. These Democrats. % in
number, deserted their party and
voted with the Republicans against in
dependence. Harrison, In his book. at
tributes their detection to the inter
vention of the late Cardinal Gibbons.
supposedly acting at the instigation
of the ecclesiastical authorities in the
islands. If this be true, Americans
here say. 1t was a wise action based
on knowledge. intimate and Of long
standing, of the native character.
Jones Acts Intent Good
Men Of legal mind who have studied
the Jones act thoroughly pronounce it
a workable piece of legislation, not at
all Inconsistent with the proper main
tenance of American sovereignty,
while granting to the Filipinos the
largest measure of self government
yet conferred on them-if it's provi-
sions and plain intent were followed.
There Is the rub. In the hands of a
governor who had determined on "the
FilipiniZation Of the islands" before
he had come across the Pacific, there
Is a different story.
There has recently been published
here a letter written by Secretary Ba
ker to Gov. Gen. Harrison after the
pa asSage of the Jones act, a long, de- |
tailed epiStle, urging on the governor |
that he proceed conservatively in the !
application Of the new legislation. He |
cautioned against diSplacing Ameri |
cans with Filipinos, particularly in |
the higher positions in the service; |
against dismissing Americans and ap- |
pointing Filipino teachers In the pub |
lie schools and against legislation dis |
eliminating against Americans. He !
urged the governor to insist on abso- |
lutte loyalty to the United States on |
the part of all Filipinos appointed to !
office, quoting on this point from an |
early letter Of President Mckinley, in |
which the latter said:
AN Indispensable qualification for J
all offices and positions Of trust and |
authority in the islands must be abso- !
Lutte and unconditional loyalty to the !
United States, and absolute and un- |
hampered authority and power to re /!
move and punish any officer deviating |
from that standard must at all times |
be retained in the hands of the CEN
trail authority of the islands"
First Act to Gust Americans
An early act of the new Legislature
was a law to disqualify Americans
from holding certain key positions in |
the government. Gov. Harrison ap-
proved it. Only recently it has been
discovered that the form of oath
taken by the members Of the lower
house does not bind the legislator TAX
ing the oath to the sovereignty of
the United States.
Secretary Bakers word of caution,
presumably sent with the approval of i
President Wilson, fell on unheeding
cars. There followed an era of wild j
legislation, a reckless exercise of their |
new-given powers by Filipinos, who |
were the only ones elected to the new |
House and Senate, all with the assent |
of the complacent American governor |
general, who sat among the paintings |
of scenes Of early days Of the islands |
left by the Spaniards at Malacanan |
palace and gave approval to prac-
tically all the laws passed by the ma |
tives who had received this new
gift of freedom"
He even approved laws which en- |
croached daringly on his own eXecu- !
tive power as the chief representative !
of the American people, laws whose !
subsequent operation furnished the !
chief evidence to cast doubt as to !
whether the Filipinos were really fit |
for seIf-government. These laws, |
whose legality under the Jones act is |
much in doubt, have been a thorn in |
the side Of Gov. Wood for five years !
and are still in operation, though it !
is not improbable that even at this |
late date effort will be made to escape |
their baleful effect. They have |
hedged in the governor generals au- |
thority and lowered the prestige of the !
United States, which were what their |
authors intended, for they were part |
of the policy of 'F'ilipinization of the |
islands"
Era of State Socialism.
The new Legislature plunged quickly |
into an era Of state socialism. They
started the Philippine National Bank. |
They created national cement com !
pany for the manufacture of cement. |
a national coal company and took |
over 600 miles of narrow-gauge rail- |
way operated by the Manila Railway |
Co. |
But that was not the main point
the milk in the cocoanut. They placed |
the naming Of directors of all these |
enterprises in a board of control. 1t |
was provided that the president of the |
Senate, the speaker or the House and
the governor general should consti- |
tute, with complete power, this board |
of control The president Of the Sen |
ate and the speaker of. the House We're |
the two chief Filipino leaders, QueZon !
and Osmena. Gov.-Gen. Harrison was !
agreeable to the plans Of the Filipino |
politicians.
Political control of these govern |
ment enterprises was nailed down !
tight and the, politicians proceeded to
exercise it ruthleSsly.
Boards of directors, all with a safe
majority of Filipinos, were selected
for the national bank and the other
enterprises. The World War was on
and there was a boom in the islands
chief product, sugar. Sugar centrals.
as the mills where the cane is crushed
and made ready for the refining