Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-25
STIMSON HOLDS JONES
LAW is PHILIPPINE HOPE
Civilian Rule of Islands. Replacing
Military Law, Will Seek TO
Strengthen Control.

! ment which our Senate mentioned in
! its resolutions rs years ago.
when the subject is examined with
| even the most moderate care. the gen
| eral course which we must follow. as
| suminS that we intend to carry out
/ our trust and not abandon il. seems
plain. 1t lies between the extremes
/ Of annexation on the one side and inn
mediate independence on the other,
neither OF which | believe would he
] supported after such study by any
: considerable body of American opin-
/ ion.
| The course proposed by our Sen.
/ ate in 1922 of holding the islands in
| definitely and training them in the
/ meanwhile III local Sen-government
I has been pronounced constitutional by
/ our supreme Court. which has thus
| ruled that there is nothing in our
American Constitution inconsistent
with the purpose of developing self
government possessions or colonies
whose citizens did not participate in
cur citizenship and were not repre-
scented by votes in our Congress.
Along that general path the other
great group of EngliSh-speaking peo-
pies known as the British Empire is
already travelling. In the ideal of the
| Association of Free Nations ii has
found what satisfies the desire for in
/ dependence among its members at the
same time that it secures the strength
of mutual association. :.
While II has not vet realized in
full measure that ideal in the case of
any dependency composed entirely of
a brown race, the course which il is
following as to the others logically
and ultimately commits it in respect
IN y he
came at the outbreak of the late war.
the strength and loyalty of the bonds
between the different elements of that
empire were almost as marked among
the brown peoples as among the
white
Believes i'm Jones' Act.
Col. Stimson believes unoualitiedlv
that the United States in the Jones
act mas ready 10 our hands an AIDE.
quate instrument for the ultimate de.
NeIopment Of an autonomous govern
ment in the Philippines, while at the
same time II provides for adequate
training and supervision during the
intervening period Of political imma.
turity."
Inc new governor general Is entire.
~ hopeful that the F'ilipinos will
steadily develop along political lines
and particularly along the lines OF DO.
lltical party responsibility Stimson
foresees the time when the governor
general could appoint to posts of de.
partment heads men belonging to the
dominant political party This would
bring about the same sort of Fill.
pIno home rule. always under supreme
American direction. that prevails in
other countries with so-called "parlia.
Stimson considers that the Jones act
can be made bridge by which we
can pass gradually from "A rigidly su.
perNised system Of government 10 one
depending more and more upon re-
sponsibiiitys To political parties and
public opinion"
One Of the internal reforms to
which Gov. Gen. Stimson may be ex-
pecied TO give attention soon after he
takes command at Manila is the Gre
alton OF a sort of cabinet" Such a
cab!net," or board of advisers to the
governor general, would consist of
American inspectors responsible 10
! him alone. They would be experts
in their respective lines and concern
trate on such vital functions OF the
insulaT government as sanitation ed
ucation. highways, agriculture. mines,
Az! SShH' HsueileS, ana law. NO gov
ernor general thus far has had such
force at his command. Stimson
| considers that It is "a crying need"
President Coolifges next viceroy in
the Philippines is firm i'm the belief
| that their salvation can be worked
out without altering the Jones orr
Zanic law in any funda mental respect
lie favors certain minor changes. but
opposes any that would substantially
weaken American authority. Stimson
strongly advocates Iiberating the
Moro and other pagan provinces In
the islands from Filipino domina-
ton, Representative Bacon Repub.
lican, OF New York, already has a
bin before Congress to that end.