Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
New Era Dawns in Philippines
Truce Ma yforP

am going to work for as long as live.
But mere words are nothing. II can
get actual independence by not using
such word, will proceed to use other
arguments in a new language.
We will tell the American people that
we want the right to negotiate COM
mercial treaties with other countries
with foreign countries, so that we may
be in position to find markets for our
products and not depend upon only
one market. We will tell them that the
Filipino people cannot develop econom-
ically until the people of this country
and of other countries who want to
help the Filipinos and who want to de-
velop the country know that when they
are investing something their invest
ment Is guaranteed, because the policies
Of the government upon which depends
the development of the land are in the
hands of the people of this country and
not in the hands Of other people who
are more than 10000 or $4,000 miles
away from us. ] will talk to the Ameri-
can people Of economic development"
Have PrOspered Amazingly.
The Philippines have prospered amaz-
ingly under American rule. The popu-
lation has increased from 1885 426 in
1908 to about 10000 in 1929. The
total imports and exports, which were
only $4,000, 563 in 1899, had grown to
$271 ,425, $50 in 1927. Education, good
roads, sanitation, agriculture and local
administration have made great Ad-
vances.
There is, however, another side to the
picture. The people are filled with en-
thusiasm, but there are obstacles to
progress in almost every field. There
are no funds to put two-thirds of the
school population In school, to build
much needed roads and to decrease the
ravageS Of disease among men and cat
tie. On every hand are pressing prof.
ects for welfare starved for want of
money. Taxation cannot be increased
with safety. There are few industries,
and purely agricultural countries like
the Philippines are rarely rich and pro-
gressive. The contrast with Java is
striking in many ways.
The millions of children, trained in
schools on the American model, often
by American teachers, are unwilling TO
wade up to their kneS in the mud of
the rice fields as do their fathers. They
find the average wages of 49 cents a
day in agriculture and of under dollar
a day in industry inadequate to give
them q decent living, even according to
their very moderate, tropical standards.
They are eager to better their lot, filled
with q desire for elf-improvement.
There are no careers awaiting the thou
sands annually graduated by the col
leges and the schools Of medicine, law
and commerce.
Foreigners Control Banks.
The political leaders and progressive
young Filipinos have learned to see
clearly that further advance depends
upon the investment of capital. The
Filipinos have almost none. Banking,
industry, wholesale and retail businesses
are largely in the hands of foreigners.
American and European capitalists will
not engage In even the most promising
fields, such as sugar and rubber, under
the existing uncertainty. They fear
that the promises made In the preamble
to the Jones law and In Democratic
platforms may be fulfilled. They be-
lieve that an independent Filipino gov
eminent would infiict upon them the
same burden from which they have suf-
fered in Mexico. The chance Of possi-