Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-08-25

Some time ago, while Congress
was still in session, G. A. PrOsser
of the Dunwoody Institute, Mime
apolis, wrote an article on the
granting of independence to the
Philippine Islands by the United
States. 1t has been the desire of
the Askov American to publish
this article sooner, but for lack
of space it has been omitted.
The article is nevertheless timely
now and all the arguments there
in presented are as good today.
Mr.. Prosser has visited the is
lands. securing first hand infor-
nation and has made a deep
study of the problem. He ad-
vocates their independence at
some definite and early date,
complete independence to be
granted in from five to ten years
after the agreement has been
signed, thus giving the Islanders
time in which to work out their
economic program, and to read
Just themselves to American tar
iff rates which will likely be set
up against them the same as
other independent countries. The
article follows:
By G.. A. PROSSER
AS an agricultural region, the North
west is vitality concerned with the
question of independence for the
Philippines. Because they are a
colonial possession of this country,
the sugar and cocOanut exports of the
Islands now come into direct competi-
ton with the beet root sugar, cattle
and dairy products of this region.
A very pronounced movement has de-
velOped in favor of an early and COM
In order that their exports shall cease
to compete duty free in the American
market, the plan is to free the Philip
pines at the earliest possible moment.
This agl arian movement against the
further retention of the Islands, how
ever, is by no means confined to the
Northwestern group of states, but has
crystalliZed in every farming section
of the country, particularly in these
states where cattle raising, dairying,
or the production of sugar has been
extensively developed.
With the farmers, organized labor
has also joined in a demand for i'm
mediate independence. Labor wants
complete separation SO that the Fill
pinos may be barred from unrestricted
entrance into the United States in the
future. Just as the farmer wants to
avoid the domestic competition Of
Philippine products, the American
workingman wants to escape further
competition in the domestic market
with imported labor from the Islands.
Natives Want Freedom.
To the farmer and the workingman
must be added also considerable
minority of American citizens who
have always opposed the retention of
the Philippines against the Will of
their people. This group has Away
been very responsive to the skilful
way in which the Philippine indie
pendence Commission has based it's
propaganda on our Declaration of In
dependence and the right of a free
people to life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness"
In the background of these power
full forces, great body of American
citizens have, heretofore at least,
viewed the Philippine question with
more or less Indifference. On the
whole they adopted a more or less
complacent but common sense atti-
tude. By the fortunes of war, we had
become temporarily the responsible
custodians of semi-primitive people.
Our duty was to establish stable
government and help the FilipinOs de-
velop their own economic, social and
political assets and possibilities until
some favorable time when they could
safely be trusted with complete au-
tonomy in the management of their
own affairs.
Holding this philosophy, if such it
may be called, the American people
have been but little disturbed in the
past by embarrassing parallels be-
tween our own struggle for independ-
ence and those of the Filipinos or by
vehement charges of the propagan-
dists that this boosted land of liberty
has become the oppressors of people
who want to be liberated and are
fully capable of governing themselves.
Truth to tell, the Filipinos have en-
joyed for many years a greater de-
gree of safety and freedom under the
law than most of the nations of the
world. 1t may be that their rights
and privileges are greater than they
will ever be able to safeguard and re-
tain when the United States with
draws it's protecting arm from the Is
lands! Nevertheless they want their
freedom from us-freedom, if possible
with our protection and the advantage
of our market, but if need be, accord
ing to their declarations, freedom al
any COST"
A Drifting Policy.