The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-19

IT me Cobhti q COtt1" VVt ViS
Freeing the FiHpinoS, With
Politics Eliminated, 1t
Would Free Them By q Big
Majority.
THo6E who enjoy reading Pa
L rick Henry's Liberty or Death
speech should enjoy also the fer
vent plea for Philippine independ-
ence made by tine Filipino represent
tative. Manuel Roxas. before the
senate finance committee at WASH
ington.
PoX has asked that congress fix a
definite date for recognizing the in
dependence Of his countrymen, not
an unusual thing to ask, since We
have so often said that we would
get out Of the Philippines whenever
they were able to run their own
affairs
If q vote OF the country could be
taken on this proposition, the same
divorced from politics, We believe
an overwhelming majority would be
recorded Tor letting the Little
Brown Brother" paddle his own
canoe.
This issue never has been con-
sidered, except when 1t was sub
merged in a weller of hokum, such
as Never hauling down the flag"
We have not considered the Fill
pino very closely these last twenty
years, for other issues closer home
have interviewed. and the sons and
daughters of those who tore their
hair over the matter back In the
days Of Roosevelt and Bryan may be
surprised to know that we have any
little brown brothers in the family.
This ahectionate term was given
the chocolate-hued gentlemen BY
Mr.. Taft when he was serving over
there as Governor general
VXTE recall the horror with which
w the country first thought of
holding the Philippines. and. real
izing this, Mckinley, then in the
White House felt his -ay carefully.
Then the lingo spirit broke loose.
capturing not only the Republican
party, but many of the leading
Democrats and the campaign of
1900 was waged on the issue. Nc
Kinley hopping up Brother Bryan,
who took the side of the brown
boys
With nations, as with people. def
mite stands are not determined upon
far in advance Of events, but one
thing leads to another.
Thus in the Philippines, whatever
chance there might have been for
us to get out Of the islands. it was
destroyed when the Philippine in
SurrectlOn broke forth, for then, ac-
cording to the code Of nations, we
had to shoot it out.
Unless the Filipinos have profted
by an almost inconceivable assimila-
ton since last we gave them a
birdseye view, they are not a nation,
nor even the raw material of a ma
ton, but a hundred or more dis
tinct, antagonistic peoples, speaking
tongues utterly foreign to one an
other.
Until one tribe mainfests enough
power to rule the rest. it would seem
impossible for them to last long as
an independent power.
a ND it would take lot Of sense
1 n to keep their political bark out
of the international whirlpool, since
their great natural resources make
them very desirable in the eyes Of
those nations which have been prac-
ticing grand larceny for centuries.
Japan in particular would Xix TO
annex the Philippines, since they
produce everything which Japan
does not. and they are only a short
stroll from Japan's southerumost
border
If tribe appears in the Philip
pines capable Of enforcing order
throughout the archipelago. We
are placed in a position Of making
good or eating our many promises Of
independence
But let the Filipino brother know
that if We do turn him loose, We do
not chaperon him; be can't be in
dependent and have guardian at
the same time.