The Washington times., 1937-04-10

congress may PROVIDE the
answer to this question before
adjournment of the present Ses.
sion. ''~ .-T
Under the Act passed by the
Seventy-third Congress provision
was made for the divorce of the
Islands from the United States
on the fourth day of July follow.
ing the expiration of a period
of ten years from the date of
the Inauguration of the present
autonomous government. 81
Instead of waiting until 1945
the Philippine Government is. now
asking that the United States get
out of the Islands as soon as pos.
sible. The indications are that
Congress is inclined to accept this
invitation. ,,..-
Meantime the President has
recently made a nomination
which is not without diplomatic
significance. Colonel Charles Bur.
nett's nomination to be Chief Of
the Bureau of Insular Affairs Of
the War Department with the
rank of Brigadier General has at
tracted keen interest in the Diplo.
matte Corps. AS Military Attache
of the American Embassy at
Tokyo, Colonel Burnett performed
several tours of duty and is highly
esteemed by the Army and Navy
Of Japan among whose officers he
has an extensive acquaintance"
ship.
SECTION XII
AS Chief of the Bureau Of nsub
lar Affairs all Philippine matters
will pass over his desk until the
complete independence of the
Islands is effected.
The selection for this post of an
Army officer whom the Japanese
have long known calls to mind a
provision in the Philippine hide
pendence Act which has yet to be
carried out. Section XII of that
Act deals with the future neutrali-
cation of the Islands and reads as
follows:
"The President is requested, at
the earliest practicable date, to
enter into negotiations with
foreign powers with the view to
the conclusion of q treaty for the
perpetual naturalization Of the
Philippine Islands, IL and when
Philippine independence shall
have been achieved"
"The earliest practicable date"
means no doubt the earliest date
which the President finds feasible
to initiate this negotiation. He
does not have to wait until the
Congress decides whether Philip
pine independence shall start next
year or in 1945. The President
does not need even the authority Of
the Philippine Act to launch a ne
gotiation along the lines recon.
mended by the Congress. Under I,
the Constitution the President pos
sesses an u1fettered Initiative in
the negotiation OF a treaty. Its rat
| ification. however. Is made depend
ent upon the advice and consent OF
two-thirds of the Senators present
when a treaty is disposed Of
BY nominating General Burnett
to be Chief of the Bureau Of
Insular Affairs, Mr.. Roosevelt has
encouraged the expectation that
negotiations between the United
States and Japan as well as be.
tween the United States and
Great Britain, France, Russia,
italy, Germany and other powers,
including Holland, will not be long
delayed. s.
/ How far the Senate Of the
United States will be willing to go,
in associating the American Gov
eminent with other Governments
in a joint guarantee of Philippine
Independe no one knows.
Belgian independence was pro-
tected by a naturalization treaty \
but the protection did not stop the
German Army from invading Bel
GUM. And then followed the
Great War.
Whether the American people
would be willing to protect the flu
ture independence of the Philip
pine Islands by participating in
another Great War is q question
that will be thoroughly explored
" both Houses of Congress, be-
fore any more legislation is en-.
acted regarding the date on which
the Philippine Islands are to enter
upon their independent career.
MORAL OBLIGATIONS
One of the most influential argu.
ments brought to bear in support
Of Philippine independence at an
early date was the possibility that
the retention of American SOY.
ereignty over the Archipelago
might involve the United States
in a war with Japan. From the
day that Japan seized the Ger.
man Islands in the Pacific at the
beginning of the Great War the
job of protecting the Philippines !,
became one of extreme difficulty
for the United States.
The position taken by the Senate
OF the United States when it re.
fused to ratify the treaty of Yer.
sailles was substantially this:
That in the diplomatic lexicon
OF the United States a moral OBJ
legation had always been the
equivalent of a lega.. obligation.
In other words, that the United
States could not assume the moral
obligation which Article x of the
Covenant of the League of Ma.
lions would impose without being
bound as firmly as if the obliga-
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