Evening star., 1935-07-31
BY IUNIUS Il. WOOD.

and hot0 they are likely to meet
these problemS.)
BY JUNIUs Il. WOOD.
MANILA, p. !. IN. A. N. A).-The
Filipino Is Of Malay stock, consider
ably mixed with other races through
the centuries An old Malayan folk
lore legend is to him the story Of the
United States and the Philippines.
Under the title Sam and Maganda."
it has been adapted into English by
Harmon H. Buck, who has lived in%
the islands for 81 years without for
getting what may interest Americans.
The Stalwart young man, rich,
generous. but rather naive, rescues a
maiden in distress. He trains her in
his ways, teaches her expensive habits
and see that she is satisfied, makes
her go into business. always declaring
his intention of releasing her some
time, but always heSitateS, though she
continually pouts to be free. Finally
he Is short of money, her business
threatens his. she and her complain
ing have become tiresome and he
orders her out The legend is that
the sugar daddy" cannot be blamed,
but, after 81 years of pampering, the
grille" is going to have a rocky time
producing enough to live in her ac-
customed style. She may get along
alone. as she expects. or another
daddy" may be waiting TO help her.
Forgotten Man" Overlooked.
With all the sympathy for the Fill
pinos, who now have what they want
ed, none if left for the forgotten man.
so often mentioned and so quickly
forgotten again. He is overlooked IN
the discussion of possible benefits and
pitfalls of independence. He IS the
American who has made the Philip
pines his home, whose interests and
livelihood are here, and, 10 a slightly
lesser extent, business interests in the
United States, shipping companies
and others, which depend on Philip
pine trade.
The forgotten man" suddenly fnds
himself in foreign country. He may
be ruined Probably it will not be
that bad, but he is not comforted by
the explanation that the Philippines
never were more than a small part
of the United States and that he is
an even smaller item compared to the
national interests of $50. 900, 900 Amer
leans at home.
As so often before, these forgotten
men" are gloomy, but this time they
have reason to be apprehenSive, as
the big change is right ahead. They
consider leaving. I know . chief
steward who has sailed the seas for
40 years. When ! first met him he
berated the ship, the sea and the
skies above in language only a sailor
knows. and vowed he never would set
/ foot on a deck again. Two years
later I found him on the sea, and
he still is there.
Governor General Well Liked.
Fears that life in the Philippines
will become impossible are not new.
The Fihpinos like Gov Gen. Murphy,
and the forgotten man" fears that
may indicate something is wrong with
Washington's policies. He was even
more firmly convinced of that Is
years ago, when the Governor, Francis
| Burton Harrison. was not only liked
/ by the Filipinos, but more chummy
! with them than with Americans.
! Many coconutS have fallen in the
Philippines since then and been for
| gotten, but that was my first vision of
the delectable islands, and my memory
may be more vivid than the memories
Of those who have tarried through the
| passing seasons. Some Of the good old
faces have passed. some new ones
take their places, but many are un-
changed. and as We goSsiped in the
big salon of the American Chamber
Of Commerce. the talk turned to gov
ernorS. past and present.
Harrison was the best governor the
islands ever had" was astonished to
hear. More things have endured from
him-the National Development Corp,
National Coal Co., National Cement
Co., rural credit associations and the
Philippine National Bank"
Others also were given credit. but
praise Of him was the most surpris-
ing, for. only a few years ago, when
he was here, he had been the horrible
example. Today the future is more
uncertain than it was then, or ever
before. but 1t may not be as dark
as the forgotten man" anticipates.
Gloom may be habit.
All May Be Lost.
He cannot be blamed for his gloom.
For him, Philippine independence is
not an abstract problem of statecraft,
as in Washington, nor the small item
Of business which it is to big COM
mercial house. nor something of mere
passing interest, as it is to school chill
dren and grown-ups at home. All he
has. all he his built up in lifetime
home, business, aSsociationS-may be
lost. The solid ground is figuratively
pulled from under him. Today he is
in the United States, but, in 10 years,
II he does not move. he will be in
foreign country. 1t is not catastro-
phe of nature like flood or drought,
and he gets no relief and little SYM
pathy.
As TO the Flipinos. even those who
can foresee and will be responsible
for what is ahead, they are as excited
as a bride the day before her wedding.
She has no time to worry whether the
biscuits she may bake will be bri-
quettes or eiderdown. Al election
campaing-the first of the new COM
monwealth-with all the gayety, ora
tory, parades, rough-house and typical
American politics which make citizen
ship worthwhile In the Philippines, Is
| in full blast