Evening star., 1938-03-15
M'NUTT ASSA|LS
'SCUTTLE AND RUN
In Forum Talk He Urges
United States to Retain
Hold in Philippines.
Continued From Page AID

quarter of the globe The Philippines
is sparsely populated and it is sur
rounded with nations whose teeming
millions are spilling over their ma
tional boundaries. An Independent
Philippines thus faces very real
threat of racial extinction. Add to
this the question of its ability to de-
fend itself from foreign military ag-
gression and the economic disaster
attendant upon sudden loss Of the
American market and you have the
picture.
From the American viewpoint the
picture is equally gloomy. If we with
draw from the Philippines we lose our
voice in Oriental diplomacy. We leave
a barrier reef of islands from Kam-
chatka to Borneo-all practically with
In sight of each other-a barrier which
will intervene between the United
States and the continent of Asia. In
foreign hands, this barrier will block
our trade and intercourse with China
It will solve the claims Of freedom of
the seas and freedom of the air
solve them unfavorably to us and to
our children.
Again. today. the Philippines is a
happy spot in an unhappy Orient-the
one place out there where decency.
democracy and peace reign; where the
orderly processes Of democracy have
chance to develop: where, and only
where, Christianity rules the souls of
ocfA ,,,hor
where, the peculiar culture of Amer
lea holds forth a torch of liberty and
the love Of fellow man.
y Responsibility for U. S.
A great British writer said after
the World War that he did not fear
that America should become the great
leader OF the world-that what he did
fear was that America would refuse
to take the position Of leadership for
which she was so eminently fitted both
as to resources and ideals.
To us there comes responsibility.
It appears now in respect to the
Philippine problem broadened to be-
come part of a greater Oriental prob
lem. II we scuttle if We run away
our monument will be destroyed. The
things we counted on. our aspirations
to point the way to new benign
eolonialism, our handicraft will
perish. Our grandchildren will read
4 history which will apply to us the
epithet "quitter"-a word which is
just about the worst insult in the
lexicon Of true American.
I believe voice the inherent desire
Of my Nation when say that We want
to solve the Philippine problem in
fairness to alive want to solve it
) Just as we wish with fairness and
justice to solve our domestic problems.
It can be solved.
On the political side our flag and
sovereignty should remain, allowing to
the Philippines every ounce of do
mestic autonomy they can absorb
holding in our own hands foreign
affairs. tariffs. immigration. currency
and public debt-scarcely more than
marks of the necessary reservations Of
. dominion. We should feel free in
case Of any crisis to help preserve the
democratic basis of the Philippine
government.
Military Protection.
On the economic side. We should
from time to time give the Philippines
the best trade deal We can without
injuring our domestic producers. We
must admit the possibility of COM
petition. The present quantity quotas
on sugar, coconut oil. and cordage
should be retained and If other or new
commodities come into competition
with homeside products they also
should be restricted with quotas. Our
aim should be to assist with capital
land men. with good will and such
preferences as We can afford, the re-
turn to complementary and recip-
rocal economy between the United
States and the Philippines.
Then there is the problem of mill
tAry protection. I venture to predict
that 80 long as our flag flies over the
Islands no foreign power will trespass,
irrespective of the military forces
stationed there. So long as our flag
flies there, the Philippines will be the
cornerstone of peaceful reconstruction
In the Far East. further venture
that if our nag comes down, the
Philippines will become bloody ground