Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-30
Conditions in the Philippines.

LIKE all dillDiS uOllS oubsSi ~ IAies vi 1tNS
Delphic oracle, the Thompson Philip
pines report is so diversely inter,
Dreted as to give encouragement to
both OF the widely differing groups of
disputants who are affected by it.
The leaders among the Filipino po-
liticos and their press bureau appl2ud
the recommendation that native loca!
autonomy be gradually increased; the
finding that the military atmosphere
of the governor generals administra-
ton retards cooperation between the
Filipino legislature. controlled by the
politicos, and the American executive,
the governor general; that the govern,
nent of the Philippines and of all
the oversee possessions should be
transferred from the War Depart
ment to non-military jurisdiction; that
Moroland, the southern islands, should
not be separated in government from
the northern islands Of the archipel-
ago, and that the Jones law of 1916,
the organic act of the Philippines
should not at this time be amended.
Those who believe in fhe wisdom o.
the policy of President Coolidge, as
faithfully applied by Gov. Ger. Wood.
the representative of American SOW
ereignty in the islands, emphasize the
findings of the report, backed by the
recital of convincing facts, that the
Filipinos will not be able for a long
time to sustain as a nation an indie
pendent government, divorced from
the United States: that the Filipino
leaders, through the legislature, have
usurped executive powers vested by
the Jones law in the governor general.
representing the United States. and
have stubbornly contested efforts Of
the governor general to regain and
exercise these powers; that the United
Moros against Filipino rule: that i'm
mediate independence would compel
the separation of Mindanao and the
Sulu archipelago from the rest of the
1CldIuSs anu THAT utlttCI DlSStill COil-
ditions to keep faith with the Moros
the Filipino civil officials and military
forces in the Moro country should be
replaced by Americans and Moros.
Analysis discloses that there is no
fat contradiction between the findings
of the report. They represent an ear
nest and intelligent effort to effect a
compromise which viii break the dead
lock between the American governor
general and the Filipino legislature
by emphasizing. in turn. the points Of
merit in the contentious of the re
spective disputants. For example. on
the one side there should be no gram
Of immediate and complete independ
ence to the Filipinos as nation. On
the other side. this denial should not
surprise and shock. re only a rad
teal minority Of Filipinos expects or
desires complete divorce from the
United States and the surrender of
free markets and American protection
against foreign aggression.
For another example, on the one
hand. there should be no exploitation
Of the natural resources of the isla ndq
for private gain. and no amendment
at this time of the land laws of the
islands by act Of Congress On the
other hand. there should be vigorous
DEVELOPMENT of these natural resources
for public benefit, and to this end the
Philippine legislature should itself
amend the land laws.
And again, on the one hand, there
should De no separation of the Moro
Islands from the rest of the Philip.
pines And, on the other hand. this
separation would be necessary in good
faith TO the Moros if immediate in
dependence were granted to the Philip.
pines And In the same good faith
the FLIP no civil officials and military
forces should he now replaced in Moro.
land by Americans and Moros
There is some ambiguity as to the
steps to be taken to break the dead
lock between the governor general
and the legislature. The report divides
responsibility for the deadlock and
assigns as causes: 0l Opposition of
the Filipino leg stature and leaders to
efforts of the governor general to
regain the powers vested in him by
law as representative of American
sovereignty in the islands and
usurped by the legislature. (2) The
military atmosphere of the governor
generals administration due to his
use of Army instead Of civilian
advisers.
On one point the report should be
cleared of all ambiguity. The report s
criticism of the military atmosphere
OF the governor generals administra
ton; the coldness and curtness of its
perfunct0ry commentator ION the
whole" Of Gen. Woods conduct OF
affairs and its recommendation that
the Phil ppines be transferred from
the War Department 10 an indie
pendent non military jurisdiction are
construed by the enemies of Gen
Wood and opponents of the Coolidge
Philippines policy as amounting "or
the whole" TO a condemnation of the
governor general and the suggestion
Of an easy means of getting rid o.
him.
Gov. Gen. Wood has during hi:
term Of service represented the Amer
lean sovereignty in the Philippines
opposing premature abandonment o
the islands ard resisting unlawful en-