Evening star., 1938-11-13

The Commonwealth of the Philippines
begins its fourth year next Tuesday with
the Filipinos engaged in the vital issue
of whether they should ask the United
States to make a realistic re-examination
of Philippine independence in the light
OF recent developments in the Far East,
particularly the Japanese march of en-
pire.
To the Filipinos realistic re-examina-
ton" means indefinite postponement of
Philippine independence, as suggested by
High Commissioner Paul Worries McNutt
last March in Washington. Before he
left Manila he obtained the sympathetic
but non-official Endorsement of Com
monwealth President Manuel L. Quezon
to the re-examination proposal. The
White House also gave advance approval
to the McNutt speech Incorporating the
re-eXamination idea.
Since the delivery of the McNutt radio
address, President Quezon has come out
for a certain kind of dominion status
for the Philippines, and his people have
been talking enthusiastically about the
attractive features of a protectorate I'M
der the United States. The German ac-
QUESTION of Austria, the partition of
Czechoslovakia and the fall of Canton
and Hankow have all contributed in
lessening the Filipinos' interest in inde-
pendence.
Japanese Progress Cited.
The fact that the Japanese are 20
o11 of L,,Jo
for-the- -Asiastics program has hastened
the Filipinos in embracing the idea of
independence postponement, matter
which they previously did not expect to
take up until shortly before the end of
the commonwealth period in 1916. The
average Filipino now believes that in
1916 Japan will be ready to gobble up an
will stop her from doing so.
This week another Philippine mission
arrives in Washington. Headed by Com
monwealth Vice President Sergio Os-
mena and commissioned by President
Quezon, this body has for its ostensible
purpose congressional legislation to
change certain economic provisions of
the Philippine independence act. How
ever, the general impression in the
Philippines is that the real objective of
the Osmena mission is to help prepare
the ground for the realistic re-examina-
ton" of Philippine independence.
This impression was strengthened by
the revelatory statement made by tall,
suave Mr.. Osmena on the eve of his de-
parture from Manila. He said that his
mission was of "transcendental impor-
tance to the welfare of the Filipino peo-
Pile" Observers promptly pointed out
that at this stage of United States
Philippine history only a change in in
dependence signals would be of tran
scendental Importance" Mr.. Osmena
promised that mo effort will be spared,
however great, which may in any man
ner contribute to the realization of our
objective" OF all his seven trips to the
United States, he considers the current
one the most difficult lt"-even more diff
ficult than his mission in 1923, when he
saw Congress enact the first Philippine
independence measure.
Filipino leaders are aware of the diff
Guilty of merely interesting the United
States in Philippine problems. How
ever, Filipinos see in current United
States policy toward the Orient and the
Pacific an American desire to remain in
the Far East particularly in the Philip
pines. They believe that the United
States has deliberately refused to take
advantage of an unusual conjuncture of
AfNYnrt1fnitlnc to
withdraw honorably and Immediately
. from the Philippines. in conformity, for
instance. with President Quezon's strill
cry for immediate independence last
year, the Panay incident and the insist
ent warning of American military and
naval authorities that the islands cannot
be defended.
Election in Philippines.
Like voters in the United States, $780,
600 Filipino voters went to the polls last
Tuesday. This was the first time that
Philippine national election conceded
with one in continental United States.
It was for members of the unicameral
National Assembly, indicating that the
drst half of the six-year term of Presi-
dent QueZon is almost over
During the recent heated campaign
there never was any doubt that Quezon's
Nationalist party would win by a land
slide because of the lack of organized
opposition. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and
the other leaders of the several minority
parties ranted against alleged betrayal
Of Philippine independence by Quezon,
Osmena and the rest of the Nationalists;
government extravaganza, nepotism and
other evils, to no avail. Even the one
time Quezon enemy, Benigno Ramos,
head of the Sakdalist party, who re-
turned to Manila from Toxic after q
conference with the Commonwealth
President during his recent Japanese
visit, has joined the Nationalists. The
charges against him in connection with
the bloody sakdahst uprising in 1885
were apparently forgotten.
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