Evening star., 1937-02-21
BY JAMES G. WINGO.
= RESIDENT MANUEL QUEZON'S
J arrival in Washington this
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~ RESIDENT MANUEL QUEZON'S
- arrival in Washington this
week, after few days rest in
Il New York, will mark the be-
ginning of new phase of the long
struggle for Philippine independence,
in which no other Filipino has played
a more important role thar the first
head of the Philippine Commonwealth.
Up to 1888, when the first Philippine
independence bill was passed by Con-
gress over the veto of President
Hoover, the Filipinos had militantly
fought for separation from the United
States, with non-co-operation with or
active opposition t. the sovereign gov
ernment's representative in the islands
as their most effective and dangerous
weapon. President Quezon was the
brilliant. bellicose generalissimo of the
inflamed masses, most of which did
not know what independence really
meant.
That era of Filipino obstructionism
ended when Congress, with no pre-
tense of altruistic motives, finally
passed an independence bill Believing
that the measure. with its restrictions
of Philippine imports into the United
States, would not give the new COM
monWealth a fair chance to survive
economic difficulties, Quezon. then
president of the insular Senate, sue
ceeded in having the Philippine Leg
islature reject the congressional offer
after bitter fight with many other
Filipino leaders.
Bill Is Re-enacted, However.
President Quezon came to the
United States in 1884 with the pur-
pose to secure more liberal inde-
pendence bill. He failed because the
overwhelmingly Democratic Congress
re-enacted the bill which the Fill
pinos rejected, making only a few
minor changes. However, he succeeded
In securing a comforting statement
from President Roosevelt, who, when
he recommended to Congress the re-
enactment of the measure rejected by
the Philippine Legislature. said:
Where imperfections or inequalities
exist. I am confident that they can
NC NO1lCNtSo o4OCl PLOpCl llCdl lIlS anu
in fairness to both peoples" With
President Quezon favoring the new
act, it was accepted unanimously by
the Philippine Legislature.
Anticipating economic difficulties
resulting from the enforcement of the
United States-Philippines trade pro-
visions of the independence act, Presi-
dent Quezon this week will begin to
seek the correction of "imperfections
or inequalities. He is well prepared
to advocate the continuation of a
mutually beneficial trade between the
United States and the Philippines.
In many previous visits to WASH
1ngton President Quezon demanded
independence, which the Filipinos be-
lieved was promised to them by the
United States Presidents and Con-
gress. This week he will be in no po-
sition to demand anything from either
President or Congress. He is faced
with a colossal handicap.
Little Bargaining Power.
Most Congressman still feel the
same way they did in 1888 and 1884.
The Washington representatives of
farm and dairy organizations have de-
clared that they will oppose any
change in the independence act that
would liberalize the restrictions of
United States importation of Philip
pine products. President Quezon has
little bargaining power to offer.
Therefore. he will necessarily assume
the role of beggar and persuader. It
is humber part than that of a
demander, but no less honorable and
patriotic in the eyes of his country
men and even sympathetic Americans.
He will persuade the people of the
United States that their moral respon-
sibility did not end with the enact
ment of an independence law, but
must now extend to nurturing Philip
pine industries, which were developed
under free trade, and to their not-too-
abrupt weaving away, if such free
trade, the imposition of which was
opposed in the beginning by the Fill
pinos, must have to end on July 4,
1916, the date set for Philippine in
dependence.
The man with such tremendous re-