Evening star., 1939-10-08
By Charles Sumner Lobineier.
Formerly of the Philippine Judiciary.

nA11Hssa1
Abope is a Diew of the Army
landing field on the Philippine
island of Batdn, north of Luson-
and almost Dithtn sight OF Jap
1nese F0rmosd.
Inset at left Is of President
Quezon; that at right, High Com
missioner Sdyre.
"A. p, Harris -E,Dtng and
Hessler Photos.
by describing her as having "the fatal
gift Of beauty" The lure Of the Philip
pines is the more fatal gift of wealth.
vast forests of hardwood, almost un-
touched; tropical products of all kinds
which Japan, like our own country, needs
but lacks and long known, but recently
developing, mineral deposits. These last
are the most important for Japan. For,
by 1888, the Philippines had attained the
sixth place in the production of the
baser metals, notably iron. That iron is
one of Japan's greatest necessities today
should be apparent from her vast pur-
chases of iron products in this country
during the past two years. The propor-
ton OF these to her total ferrous pur-
chases for 1888 alone were: Scrap or
old iron and steel, 9039 per cent; ferro-
alloys, 82.n per cent; other iron and
Steel semi-manufactures 5365 per cent.
(See Congressional Record, August 2,
1889. PIP. 13-14) How much more con-
venient and less expensive it would be
fos Japan herself to produce these in
the Philippines!
Leader in Precious Metals.
In the realm of the precious metals,
the Philippines lead any other Far
Eastern country. During the first half
of 1899 their gold mines yielded s., ,344, ,725
worth Of that metal. These figures will
afford some notion of the mineral wealth
which lies hidden in what President Nc
Kinley was wont to call "the gems and
glories. Of those tropical seas" 1t is not
surprising that Japan covets them; the
wonder is, rather, that America has re-
solved to surrender them.
If the surrender were to be actually to
the Filipinos and them alone, it might
be explained as an act-unprecedented
in history-of national generosity But,
in the light of the facts briefly men
toned above, all unprejudiced and
thoughtful students of the Far Eastern
situation realize that Americas with
drawal from the Philippines merely
leaves the door open for Japan to enter,
for the Filipino Army of 10000, even
though absorbing third of the coun-
trys revenues and even if multiplied a
dozen-fold, could offer but feeble resist
ance to the mechanized forces of Nip
pom. Moreover, the Filipinos have not
yet begun to build navy and Japan's
battleships, formidable even to a first
class power, could blockade the Philip
pine ports practically without resistance.
The crushing of Poland by the hosts of
Hitler could be repeated in much shorter
time in the archipelago.
Thus the Filipinos and their friends
must face the bitter prospect that, if
America withdraws, Japan may take
the islands whenever her forces, now
engaged elsewhere, are released; that
surrender of them at any time soon is
an eventual surrender to Japan and that
the Filipino Republic may thus be
doomed before it is born.
Filipinos Concerned.
Confronted by such a situation, it is
not strange that some thoughtful Fill
pinos view with deep concern the pro-
posed severance of those ties which,
during the lifetime of the present gen.
GRAFTON, have linked them to the great
Republic on the opposite side of the
Pacific, and begin to think of ways to
preserve them. Such a sentiment is not
new in the Philippines. With the advent
OF civil government there, in 1901, a
group of influential natives organized
what was known as the Partido Federal
Federal party, whose avowed object
was a permanent connection with the
United States, in the form, ultimately,
OF either statehood or dominion status.
The party included some of the leading
Fllipinos Of the early century-Arellano
chief justice of the Supreme Court;
Tavera, Legarda and Luzurriaga, MEM
bers of the Philippine Commission; Ara
meta, attorney general and later secre-
tary of justice.
When the writer first met Mr.. Quezon
he was the fiscal government attor-
ney) of his native Province of Tayabas,
holding the post upon the recommends
ton OF leaders Of the Partido Federal,
of which he was then member. The
late Pedro Guevara, long a Resident
Commissioner in Congress from the
Philippines, and whom had known
from the time when he was young prac-
titioner before me in Manila, often ex-
pressed to me the conviction that the
ties between the United States and the
Philippines should continue indefinitely,
although he was member of the Ma
cionalista party, which had always Off
cially demanded immediate indepen-
dence. He mentioned others of his
group who shared his views.
The Partido Federal never received
much encouragement from the Ameri-
can onicials. Their policy was to leave
internal politics to the Filipinos, and
the former seemed ut times to lean over
backward" In favoring those who op-