The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-08-12
FILIPINOS MAY
Get GOVERNMENT
LIKE CANADIAN
independence Will Not
Be Granted

MANILA, P. l., Aug. 10.-Col. Carmi
A. Thompson after a months investl
| cation of the islands at the behest OF
President Coolidge, who 1t is said sen.
| the mission at the request of the
American rubber trust, is convinced
that the Philippines should not be al
lowed their independence but that
some political reforms must be made
in the island so that American invest
ments can be safely made
1t is believed that he will recon-
mend to Coolidge the creation of a
dominion government. Senator Osm-
ena, who Just returned from Washing
ton is touring the country preaching
moderation and patience to the Fill
pinos picturing the dominion form or
government as the best for the Philip
pines.
Senator Manuel Quezon declares he
will go to the United States in Novem-
Der and fight the passage of the Bacon
bill which proposes to take the most
fertile land of the islands and make
them vast rubber colony and grant
the rest of the islands independence.
The Chicago Tribune in its editorial
entitled "a Red Herring in The Phil
ippines" has the following to say on
the scheme of the American rubber
trust to make the Philippines a vast
rubber plantation:
1--WE believe the tire manufactur-
ers are realists, and if they are they
are not so outraged at the 'gouging
as they pretend to be. They are seek
ing, perhaps, to focus public attention
on the high price of rubber in the
hope that American opinion will crys-
tallize in favor of freer land laws in
the islands and a continuation of
American rule. The repeal of the law
limiting Philippine estates to $500
acres would not, of itself, be enough;
the rubber manufacturers would not
care to make the enormous investment
required if they felt that their capital
was subject to the vagaries of native
politics. They desire the continuation
of American rule in the lands as
guaranty of safety.
Need to Retain Islands.
"As our rubber trade sees it, the
question for the nation to decide is
whether the possibility of developing
the natural resources of the islands
does not justify us in keeping them.
Until recently we should have an
swered an unequivocal no. The islands,
it seemed to us, were small asset in
view Of the dangers they subjected us
to. The Philippines were peculiarly
liable to attack by Japan, while we
were forbidden by treaty from making
them impregnable. We could not hope
to hold the Philippines against a sud
den attack from the north, but once
they were lost we were committed to
a war to regain them, a war which
would have to be fought at a tremen-
dous disadvantage due to the distance
OF the islands from this country and
their proximity to Japan.
AWAY WIN alSe ISSUE
I'VE are by no means prepared to
abandon that position now, but we be-
lieve that the rubber manufacturers
and others who are interested in the
commercial and industrial possibilities
of the islands should be allowed to de-
velop their case fully. We wish they
would develop 1t more frankly. I'm
questionably the economic importance
Of the tropics is increasing in the
modern world.
Our country will be more secure in
peace and war If we have a plentiful
supply Of tropical products. Perhaps
the Philippines are better able to sup
ply our needs than Mexico or Central
and South America. The likelihood
that Japanese ambition will lead to an
attack on the Philippines may not be
so great as has been imagined. These
are some of the considerations which
might lead us to revise our theories
of Philippine policy. To ignore the
realities and stress the 'gouging' by
the British is to darken counsel with a
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