The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-09-01


is being built rapidly to 100000.
BY 1945 it will be 100000.
The yearly cost is 10000
AS the national income is $780,
000,0 900 this means that 80 per
cent Of the island revenues will
be set aside for defense against
an unnamed and unknown as
sailant-one dollar OUT of every
three. Full panoplied, the Philip
pines rush into modern state
hood.
Uncle Sam will continue to be
responsible for the islands for
the next ten years, but he's just
standing by in case anything
starts trouble. They are now on
their own and supplying their
own revenues for their army and
air defenses. The national as
sembly has just voted $l,4O0, 900
for start.
Industrially, the country Is
being organized to dovetail into
the military plans with the ut
most of resources and efficiency.
Typical of these activities are the
achievements of Gen. Pauline
Santos, director of the Philippines
penal colonies. Using native ma
terials, he sets prisoners by the
thousands turning out specially
designed army hats and clothing
and has devised plans for using
the prisons and prisoners to pro-
duce food for the soldiers.
About one-half of the inhabi.
tants of the Philippines live in
Luzon, the site of Manila. Here
there will be tremendous con-
centration of torpedo boats and
planes, and already there is being
accumulated vast stocks of MUM
tionS and food. Virtually all the
generals plans and strategy are
concentrated on preventing land
ingS, not on repelling forces once
they are landed.
BRILLIANT RECORD
He has indicated that the man.
power and resources of the Philip
pines are not sufficient to enable
them to win any decisive victory
over a major power, but he is
definitely and emphatically con-
WINGED that, without undue strain
on revenues, he can bring the
island defenseS to a point where
any attack will be decidedly I'm.
profitable-that assurances of re-
siStance will be such that no ma.
ton can see any promise of divi.
dendS, even if it does grab the
islands.
Military experts are keenly in
terested, and apparently some.
what enviouS, as General Mac.
Arthur gets his rare opportunity
for postgraduate laboratory work
in economical defense. This in
terest is heightened by the gen.
erals brilliant record, the young
est major general in the Army
when he was commanding the
crack Rainbow division in the
World War. He is West Pointer,
Sc years old, often referred to as
the handSomest man in the Army.
The congressional military mis-
sion law gave him the specific
powers under which he can legally
take over the task of building the
Philippines to what he thinks is
adequate defensive strength. He
was commander of the district Of
Manila from 1923 to 1925 and head
of the Philippine department from
1928 to 1890, when President
Hoover made him Chief of Staff.
A year ago, japanese diplomats
were against any sort of treaty
governing the protection of the
Philippines. Now, at the Yosemite
Pacific relations conference, they
are buZzing with eagerness and in
terest in the islands and suggest
that a treaty may be devised.
Nobody seems to be quite sure
what it is all about, but it is obvi.
Gus that the islands will be high.
lighted in Far Eastern affairs for
some time to come and in the
meantime General Macarthur is
showing them how to keep their
powder dry.
Copyright 1885. by King Features
syndicate, Inc