Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-29
The Philippines and Jaran

The New York Times dignifies with
verbatim transmission by radio from
Manila remarkable address just de-
liyered there by DR.. Herbert Adams
Gibbons Of Princeton, who is in the
Far East on a politico-literary mis-
sion. The dispatch preceding two full
columns of DR.. Gibbons remarks re-
ports that they created a sensation"
They we'll may. for the speaker put
forth the startling proposition that a
Japanese mandate over the Philip IS
is the only alternative to Ar lean
rule. If the presence of the United
States is undesirable to the Filipino
people, the banner of the Rising Sun
is the only practical substitute for the
stars and Stripes; that, or the de-
moralization which would accompany
their independence. is the choice con-
fronting the Philippines, in DR.. Glib
bons' opinion
The Princeton author-publicist, wPose
views on international affairs are con-
sidered so authoritative that he lee
lures regularly on them at the Army
War College in Washington, concurs
In the majority American view Of the
Philippines problem. The island for a
long time to come, DR.. Gibbons holds,
will have to be content without COM
plete independence" Neither from an
economic nor a defensive standpoint
can they stand alone. There is little
realization of this fact In the Philip
pines. Opinion apparently remains WIDE
spread that our rule over the little
brown brothers" has not been the
benehcent boon We supposed it to be.
The professional politicos, Of course
the Queens, the Roxases and their
confreres-do little to counterfeit the
theory that Uncle Sam Is an inter-
loper, whose disappearance would bring
not only immediate independence"
but magic welfare to the islands all
along the line.
DR.. Gibbons afirms that if thirty-three
years Of American presence in the Phil
ippines have done nothing but generate
such a spirit among their people, we
should draw the obvious conclusion and
leave a place where We are not wanted
Our work is finished" he says, and we
should recognize that fact" He Won
ders whether we have not failed-to
ingratiate ourselves with the Filipinos-
for the reason that only an Asiatic
power would know how to treat them
we'll"
There will not be widespread agree
ment with DR.. Gibbons contention that
Japan could develop these islands bet
ter than we have done" The story Of
their progress from 1898 to 1881 is a
chapter of which Americans are en-
titled to be proud. The United States
did not go blindly into the experiment
of buying the Philippines and establish
ing a great American outpost in the
made us a world power. We have
acquired vast commercial interests on
the other side of the globe. We retain
an earnest desire to see China work
out her own salvation. Our relations
with Japan are friendly and cordial
Our whole naval policy nowadays is
based on the Pacific, with an eye TO
the protection and development of our
insular possessions in Hawaii, Guam,
Samoa and the Philippines. No agrees
siye purpose actuates our desire to hold
what We have.
Our pledge TO give the Philippines
independence when they are ready for
it stands. Better reasons than those
advanced by DR.. Gibbons will have to
be advanced TO justify any scuttling Of
that solemn undertaking and, as he
suggests, negotiating with the League
Of Nations for the appointment Of
Japan as a mandatory power Of the
Philippines"
Such recourse would be a humiliat-
ing confession of administrative in
capacity on our part and the confer
ment Of highly doubtful blessing upon
the Philippine Islands and Japan alike.
As a laugh salesman Mr. HharIee