Evening star., 1930-06-27
FREE PHILIPPINES
HELDBLOW TOU. S.
Senator Bingham Ayers Plan
Would Be Harmful to Com
merce and Diplomacy.

tional Radio Forum. arranged by The
washington Star and broadcast over
the coaSt-to-coast network Of the Co.
lumbia BroadcaSting System.
Senator Bingham said he thought
that the granting of immediate oi
would be harmful to the commercial
and diplomatic interests of the United
States and would entail serious inter-
national consequences"
The Connecticut Senator, who Is
chairman of the committee on terri
tories and insular affairs, said, further
more, that independence would be
''ruinously disastrous to the welfare OF
the Filipino people themselves"
He emphasized, however, that he
would be In favor of the islands becom-
ing an organized territory, like Alaska
or Hawaii. We ought gradually to
grant them more self-government." he
said. ut should be our aim not to
avoid our responsibility by giving inde-
pendence to the Filipinos but to devel-
op them as self-reliant citizens under
the American flag"
The text Of Senator Bingham's ad-
dress follows, in full
Pursuant to the request OF The wash
ington Star, 1t Is my privilege to talk
to you for few minutes this evening
In that important newspapers Radio
Forum" upon the subject Of indepen-
dence for the Philippine Islands. an
issue pending ct the present time be-
fore Congress In the form OF q bill
which IL now on the calendar Of the
Senate. In its considers ton it Is my
purpose to address myself to the mega =
a - - waA d. Lad
TO point out some Of the weightier rea-
sons why those Of US who are opposed
to granting immediate or proximate in
dependence TO these islands believe such
action would not be only harmful to the
commercial and diplomatic interests Of
the United States and would entail
serious international consequences, but
and this Is Of paramount Signi1-
cance-would be rllinouSly disastrous to
the welfare Of the Filipino people them
selves.
In addition TO providing for the draft
ing and ratification Of constitution
for an independent government Of the
Philippine Islands, the pending legisla-
ton sets up machinery for the opera
ton Of Q five-year test period, estab-
fishing q gradual change in the eco
nonic and political relationship between
the islands and the United States
through sliding scale of tariff adjust
nentS. It proposes to reach the stage
Of complete Philippine tariff autonomy
ut the end Of the period. Then there
u to follow plebiscite on the part of
the F1ltptnos to decide whether they
approve Of complete economic and po-
lttical separation from the United
States.
Let IN very hriedy look. nrSt, ct the
question 4 American interests % in
volved I'm this problem. Upon this point
tha War Department. under whose di-
rectton cur plan Of apporttoning respon-
si0flity toward our inSlllar wards places
the Philippines, emphasizes the impor-
tAIlc0 Of these islands in the develop
ment Of trade. A departmental memo
On tins subject observes:
gtrategla Trade 0utp0st.
'-TAs question Of Philippine indepen-
0ence may be approached by some ex-
c41etveiy On the basis Of what Ia easiest
or more profitable for ourselves. Such
has not been our past policy In the
Philippine Islands, ana Q reversal OF
ultimately to our discredit at home and
abroad. Even. however, were our action
10 be based solely upon what may be best
or easiest for ourselves and without
regard to our responsibilities to others
involved, IL remains to be shown that
the granting Of independence at this
time would advance the economic or
political interests or the national secur-
ity Of the people Of tbs United States
a. whole. The islands have great
present and enormous potential value
as sources Of needed raw materials, the
production Of which may ultimately be
lad a..
people Of the United States and those
Of the Philippine Islands. They con-
stttute an important present market
and future much greater market fol-
the products Of American agriculture
ana industry. They constitute an i'm
portant strategic and trade outpost in
the Orient, and their retention tends to
insure cur fair participation In the
great trade Of the Far East
That the granting Of Independence al
the present time or in the near future
would be to the distinct ADVANTAGE oi
ON commercial competitors IL pointed
osIs by Hon. Daniel r. williams Of Sar
Francisco, formerly q Judge in the Phil
ippines and q man who has given pro.
found study to the question. AS Judge
Williams says:
The Philippines offer to the United
States q domestic and controlled source
o4 supply for essential tropical fooC
products and raw materials for which
We are becoming increasingly dependent
Epon the needs, the jealousies and thu
controls OF competitor countries. Tney
also AFFORD an ever-increasing narket
for American farm products and manu-.
factured goods, and occupy a strategic
position In the titanic struggle nov
shaping for commercial supremacy tr
\ nSsfAak -.
these advantages and opportunities
would be to play directly into the hand.
Of our trade rivals, which action, fal
from profttng the Ftlipinos-whose wei.
Hare we pretend to serve-would brins
nnisgovernInent, privation and suffering
upon them, and likely result in theil
eventual obliteration as q race"
Cites Philippine Debt.
Another argument against irnmediat t,
Or early independence for the islands Il
embodied in the situation respecting thu
very considerable debt incurred by tn,
Philippine government Philippine bond
have been fioated on the credit, not o
that government, but on the credit o
the United States, and on the belief o
the purchasers that the United State
Is standing behind the Philippine gov
ernn1ent in issuing them. True. If thl
new Philippine government failed Il
meet such obligations. the customs re
ceipts might be taken over to secur'
payment, but this provision might en-
tail us in acts easily to be construed a!
unfriendly.
Any consideration of the interests o
the United States in the Philippine
must take into account the question o
our influence in the Orient. Our with
drawal from the Philippine Islands prio
to such q time as the Filipino masse
have been given, in the language of tn,
late Chief Justice Taft, when he wa
Secretary Of War, sufficient education
to know their civil rights and maintain
them against more powerful class ant
safely to exercise the POLITICAL fran