The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-28
WAR FEARED BY
BRITAIN IF u. S,
FREES FILIpINOS
Winston Churchill Believes
Japan Would Seize
Archipelago.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMs
SoriDps-HoWard Foreign Editor

octlpps-hoWard Foreign Editor
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28-wll
Americas withdrawal from the
Philippines-now apparently only
question of time-plunge the Pacific
into war?
Winston Churchill, former first
lord of the British admiralty, among
others, indicates that this, in his
opinion, is precisely what would
happen.
Once the American flag is hauled
down in the islands. he holds, the
whole Pacific equilibrium will be de-
stroyed, and there will start blowing
a storm which, before it is over, may
play havoc in that entire quarter
Of the globe
Churchill frankly fears the Jap /
anese, for the Philippines are with
in striking distance of British North /
Borneo, Singapore, and Australia. /
And French Indo- China is only 500
miles away across the China sea.
Japan Shifts Goal
Others, however, disagree with the
Churchill school. DR.. Jacob Gould
Schurman, ex-minister to China, /
former ambassador to Germany, and
president Of the first American
commission sent to the Philippines
by President Mckinley, believes
Nippons detectives have shifted di-
rection.
There was a time two or three
decades ago, DR.. Schurman told the
writer, when Japan seemed to have
turned her eyes southwark. To-
day, however, she seems bent on ex-
panding westward at the expense OF |
China. Manchuria, eastern inner
Mongolia, China south of the great
wall, and perhaps even eastern ST. /
IBERIA would appear to be her new
goal, rather than the Philippines
and the islands farther south.
Be that as it may, it is cynically
somewhat observed here, if the
British are right, and our pulling
out of the Philippines does spell
trouble in the far east, they-and |
with them the French-have only /
themselves to blame.
treaty Is DTOkeH
In 1921, Britain, France, Japan /
and the United States concluded a |
treaty pledging them to respect one |
anothers insular possessions, and to |
take concerted action if their rights
to those island areas were threat
ened by any outside power.
This is called the four power pact |
of the Pacific BY simple modi-
f1cation at the time of our with
drawal from the Philippines, this !
guarantee easily could be broadened |
to protect them after independence. |
The trouble now is, however, that |
Japan already has scrapped the |
companion treaty to the four power |
pact, known as the nine-poWer |
treaty, virtually with the connivance |
of both Britain and France. And If |
Japan can get away with smashing /
the one the other certainly would :
seem endangered.
Might Be Neutralized
The peril however, might be
averted, or at any rate reduced, by
naturalization of the proposed
Philippine republic by international
agreement. This should not be diff
icult. For, Notwithstanding British /
and French indifference when Japan
seized Manchuria, both are inter
ested intensely in keeping the Jap
anese out of the Philippines. These
are horses of an entirely different |
color and, knowing it, Japan doubt
less will act accordingly.
The contention often heard, par
ticularly in British circles, that it
is Americas white mans" duty to
hang on, and that freeing the
islands would be "scuttling,' falls
of its own weight. Every Presi-
dent since Mckinley has stressed
the purely temporary character OF
our occupation, while congress, in
the Jones act of 1916, plainly stated
that it was this country's inten-
ton to set them free as soon as
their people were capable of self
government.
And President Wilson, in his last
message to congress in 1920, stated
that the time had come, since that
condition had been fulfilled.
Thursday: Uncle Sans Heel Of
Achilles.