Evening star., 1940-11-17

The Philippine Commonwealth begins
the last half OF its 10-year pre-independ-
ence preparatory period with greater
fears than ever about its political and
economic future. Friday, when the
Commonwealth entered its sixth year,
there appeared premonitions of all the
dangers predicted by those who had
opposed separation from the United
States.
Officially, President Manuel L. Quezon
still valiantly takes the view that the
Filipino people must be free" His
latest pronouncement on the subject last
spring stated that it would be incon-
sistent with Filipino patriotism and ira
dition for the Filipinos to accept any
thing less than a government with full
powers over not only the political but the
economic life of the islands
This unequivocal pronunciamento
failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the
independence re-examinationists whose
number has grown tremendously in the
past year. The e-eXaminationists. with
good reasons, believe that eventually
President Quezon will be confronted with
solution that he can regard as preserv-
ing not only Filipino political prestige,
but also the Philippines for the Fihpinos
under American protection
Ten Years More Asked.
Some weeks ago Quezon authorized
Secretary of Finance Manuel Roxas, the
member Of his cabinet best informed on
United States Philippine relations. to
broadcast a plea to the American people
for an extension of the economic read
justment period 10 years beyond July
4, 1916, the scheduled date for independ-
ence. Since this plea certainly does not
flt in with Quezon's idea of full free
dom" RoXas explained: We now find
our task of economic readjustment not
only extremely difficult. but practically
impossible during the period granted US
RoXas' radio address was directed to
the American people when they were
engrossed not only in the battle of Brit
ain apd other foreign battles, but also in
Wendell WILKES battle of America
Consequently this new sally received
scant attention in the United States
press.
In Manila President Quezon publicly
admitted that he wholeheartedly ap-
proved the RoXss speech, but refused to
make a direct admission that he might
consent to postponement of independ-
ence. He merely stated that he was
openly skeptical' whether Congress
would consider as sufficient induce
ment' whatever the Philippines could
offer in exchange for additional con-
cessions from the United States. He has
long made no secret of his being irked
by certain restrictions upon the Com
monweslth imposed by the Tydings-Mc-
Dufie Act.
Feel Pinch Next Year.
The Filipinos will begin to feel the
economic pinch of the Independence
Act next January when they face the
export tax and quota limitations placed
upon their products entering this coun-
try. Speaking of this, RoXaS declared:
I'VE will undergo great human suffering
unless we are granted immediate relief"
AT least Filipinos no longer ask for in
dependence at any price
What has jolted the Filipino masses
complacency even more than fears of
loss Of their flee market in the United
States is the aggressive japanese SOUTH
ward march. What was once called by
the independentists as bugaboo is now a
stern reality. The masses now fear
independence may mean no more than
change of sovereignty.
In his recent radio address RoXas
placed considerable emphasis on the
danger faced by Philippine national de-
fense. He appealed to the United States
for shipment of arms munitions and
warplanes. we do not expect American
soldiers to shed their blood in the Phil
ippineS,' he said. But whether they want
it or not, American soldiers will die de-
Tending the Philippines if invaded while
still under American sovereignty. for it
is established United States policy to
defend the Islands until 1916.
The Philippine Commonwealth has no
navy OF its own nor any air force to
speak Of The citizen army trained by
Gen. Douglas Macarthur is still in its
infancy. In an emergency the Com
monwealth could call upon 1000 Mac