Evening star., 1939-12-12
Filipino Contends
Islands Fear Japan.
To the Editor Of The Star

IL tiie 6oltof ol l ne Stdr.
In recent article In The Star, P. W.
Reeves, former member Of the Philip
pine High Commissioners staff, stated
he did not believe that Japan might
annex the Philippines should the United
States withdraw its present hold over
those islands. Mr.. Reeves gave as his
reason therefore that possession Of the
Philippines would only weaken Japan's
military position with relation to both
Russia and China, and would introduce
hazardous weakness. 1t would split the
japanese Empire into two parts sepa-
rated by 1000 miles Of ocean, and would
divide the Japanese naval strength in a
manner to benefit both China and
Russia.
am afraid Mr.. Reeves has not been
reading his newspapers as assiduously as
he should because he evidently is not
aware of present. day japanese imperial
istic trends in the Pacific. Taking for
granted but not admitting that Mr.
Reeves contention is true, may ask
how he could account for the fortifica-
ton of the former German island possess
sions in the South Pacific by Japan,
islands which extend hundreds of miles
beyond the oceanic frontiers of the
Philippine Archipelago? The fact is that
Japan does not only desire to annex
China and big slice of Russia, but also
covets possessing the Philippines, the
Malay Peninsula, Borneo. India and all
the European colonies In Asia. Every
day the newspapers OF the world feature
stories about Japan's new order in Asia,
and there's no excuse for Mr.. Reeves
being so blind to the imperialistic aspi-
rations of Japan in that part of the globe.
Recent press dispatches from Japan
have stated that when the European
war is over there will be war in the
Pacific. including the Philippines" If
that does not mean the eventual con-
quest of the Philippines and the rest of
Asia under foreign flags, I'd like to know
what would be the paramount objective
Of Japan for making war In the Pacific.
Mr.. Reeves certainly underestimates
Japanese faith m their destiny. Japan
has declared herself the guardian of
Asiatic civilization. The Japanese really
believe that they are the greatest military
power in the world and can beat any
power or any combination OF powers in
war in the Pacific. That belief has been
the cause of today's japanese saber rat
things, which fill the pages Of the worlds
newspapers.
AS Filipino know for certain that
Japan has territorial designs upon the
Philippines, notwithstanding what Mr..
Reeves has said to the contrary. Philip
pine Commonwealth President Manuel
L. Quezon, whose Craftsmanship has been
praised by Mr.. Reeves in his article, is
very much aware of the Japanese
menace to Philippine independence. II
it is not so, how could Mr.. Reeves &C
count for Mr.. Quezon's recent proposal
for a naturalization pact by which the
security of the Philippine state was to
be guaranteed by Far Eastern powers?
OF course, Mr. Quezon knows that any
treaty with Japan as one Of its sigma
tories would not be worth the paper 1t is
written on. But he was just talking as
a politician and not as the statesman
that he Is. Mr.. Queson gets nostalgia
when he Is not proposing something or
concoctins plans-right or wrong-for
the salvation Of his country. am con-
adent ttat Mr.. Ree&3s shares IN my