Evening star., 1937-10-17


established by Pan-American Airways
in 1886 belongs to the United States
and it requires no gift Of prophecy to
assert that our country will make
every reasonable effort to encourage
maximum use of the route described.
AS this trade develops and expands,
Luzon airfields will be the focus where
east-bound traffic will be concentrated
and west-bound traffic will be dis
tributed to destination. Realization
Of this project will require a stable
government in the Philippines. as we'll
as ample and efficient air facilities.
To epitomize the foregoing in a
single paragraph, it is obvious that the
best interests of both the United States
and the Philippines will be served by
taking the necessary steps to secure
the safety of the islands. Thus will
be assured the uninterrupted develop
ment Of the Filipino American culture
and economy, founded here through
the cooperative effort of the two
peoples.
Islands Will Flourish.
With adequate protection the Philip
pine Islands will flourish as a brilliant
product Of democracy, contribute to
stability and peace in the Far East.
and advance the living standards of
their people to the full extent attain
able under efficient use of their own
resources. Without protection they
will inevitably disintegrate and be
desolated by destructive force.
When it became evident In 1894 that
the installation of a commonwealth
government would take place during
1895, preliminary steps were taken by
Filipino leaders to provide for estab-
fishing an applicable national defense
system and by the time the new gov
ernment was inaugurated the Philip
pine defense plan, in all esential detail,
was ready for submission. The Ma
tional Assembly promptly incorporated
into legislation the essential provisions
Of the plan.
The national defense act places
upon the military establishment the
responsibility. under the President as
communicative not only of or
ganizing. training and maintaining an
army to insure protection against
foreign aggression, but also of perform
ing all those functions of internal
police that were formerly carried out
by the Philippine constabulary.
The plan completely negatives any
possibility Of employing the army in
aggressive action and makes no
attempt to attain a more militaristic
objective than the development of each
island in the archipelago as a citadel
Of defensive strength.
Foreign War Impossible.
In nation that is the sole occupant
Of an isolated island group, with no
mercantile marine to convert into
troop carriers, and with no feet to
protect troop ship against even the
weakest Of naval attacks, the impossi-
bility of employing an army in an
overseas campaign must be obvious
even to the professional alarmist who
can discover dastardly' intent in in
nocence itself.
If there are those who scoff at the
thought that Filipinos can successfully
defend themselves, when once their
citizenry has been trained in the pro-
fession of arms and equipment in
reasonable amounts has been accumu-
lated, let us not forget that the idea
Of Philippine f-suf1iciency In this
respect is essentially q new idea.
Scoffers will never be lacking when
any new concept is advanced. Usually,
however, they are found among those
who know little or nothing of the facts
but who arrogate to themselves the
dogmatic wisdom Of popular slogan and
glib generality.
Those who lightly regard the dim
culties Of conquering the Philippines
know nothing of war themselves and
next to nothing about the actual
potentialities of the Filipino people,
Philippine assets and Philippine ter
rain. They forget that the Philippine
Islands Is numerically stronger than
such nations as Turkey, Switzerland,
Yugoslavia, Sweden, Siam, Portugal,
Norway, Hungary, Greece. Finland.
CzechOslovakia, Denmark, Chile,
Argentine, Austria, Bulgaria and many
others now armed to the teeth.
In the general staffs Of the world.
assure you. you would find no dissent
ing voice to the assertion that. when
the Philippine defense plan has
reached fruition, 1t will represent
defensive strength that will give hest.
tation to the strongest and most ruth.
Iess nation in the world.
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