The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-19

I progression and would undo Amer ica's work of thirty years of ameli-
 oration of the condition of the Fili- pino masses. It would mean chaos
 unrest and upheaval, and would moi
 mean liberty at all.
 The Filipino economist said that
 the Filipinos are not being oppress- ed by America in any manner oi form to drive them into complete
 self-destruction. Some Filipinos are impatient. he said, which is natural
 but calm counsel must prevail and
 the welfare of the people must bt
 safeguarded. from impetuous and tr-
 responsible leaders.
 "I want to be. clearly understood
 that I believe the Filipinos are politically capable of governing
 themselves in their own fashion and l.according to their own genius. What | am pointing out is that Filipinos are economically and internationally unprepared to lose American pro- lection. This is not a reflection on our capacity but rather challenge to our sense of work and practica- lity. Common sense. should tell us that to go it alone now when the Orient is loaded with dynamite and ip the throes of Asiatic imperialism and militarism would be equivalent to riding for q fall.
 The speaker said that many people believed that the F'ilipinos are being deprived of liberty. Such is not the case, he vigorously averred... The bill of rights is in operation in the islands, which means the Filipinos have liberty. He declared that in many respects the bill or rights is kept more intact in the islands than in the United States especially under the aegis of cer- tain noble experiment" for the pro- Philippines.
 Nearly 999o of the government personnel are Filipinos. ', The legis- lature4 is 1O0% Filipino. This body
 has wider powers than the state legislatures. The major limitations on our independehceF now have to do with international affairs, and that is justified by the fact that the international responsibility is shouldered exclusively by the United States.
 "The entire government income is spent locally, not a dollar goes to the United States in taxes. We do I not spend a penny in national de- fense, which enables us to devote one third of our government income to the cause of public education. Despite this liberal percentage; how ever, we can admit less than one half of the children of school age on account of insufficient funds. The impovefishment of the government and the people through the destruc- tion@ of our industries by fndepend- hn ySi fla, of our people to acquire an educa- tion.
 "The way to eventual independ encce-for all of us want to be ulti-
 mately an independent nation-is ito build up our country. which we car do much more speedily and eff ciently with the help of the United States, being free from the burdens of international responsibilities and worries and enjoying the uplifting leadership of the American people:
 We should especially develop those products which are not pro- tected by the tariff and are not grown in continental United States, such as rubber, quinine, coffee, camphor, fibers and. a great many tropical raw materials which Ameri- ca imports from foreign sources. We should not lean on the tariff pro tection increasingly by stopping the acreage expansion of the tariff pro- tected industries, like sugar and CO., coanut oil.
 The Filipino economist explained that such economic program will, Ion the one hand. meet the com plaint of the American Farmer against Philippine competition. with in the tariff wall. and, on the other, diversity Philipine agricultural. pra- duction and create a new economic structure in the, islands that can. stand by itself without the necessity of the American tariff support" ;
 Economic independence from the American tariff system must precede political independence. The other way around, as the politicians pro- pose, is like reasoning from effect to cause, procedure that invariably leads to disaster.
 The Filipino lawyer paid a high tribute to the constructiveness and of America, saying that her policy has made the Philippines Il better place in which to live and improved the physique. the temper ament and the chances of the Fill | pinos in the world. He said the | acquisition of the English language l is 'the greatest gift of America to the F'ilipinos."
 i've appeal for none-partisan | and non-political treatment of the | independence question" Mir Villamin concluded.