Evening star., 1941-11-23
Quezon Stands Firm
For independence
With U. 5. Support
President Of Philippines
Would Like to Be Back
After Breok in Regime
By EDGAR HANSEL MOWRER,
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News

MANILA, NOV. lo 10y SllpptI) -
Bv their 80 per cent vote for the re-
election to the presidency Of Manuel
Quezon the voters of the Philippine
Commonwealth showed that they
want independence in 1916 as much
as ever but at the same time desire
to maintain their close political,
military and economic connection
with the United States by whatever
means the future may show to be
appropriate.
The authority for this statement
IS none other than the newly elected
President himself, and as the apostle
OF complete independence of the
islands he obviously knows better
than any one else President QuezOn
admits that although the Flllpinos
must and will become entirely lnde-
pendent" they intend deliberately to
replace the ties of dependence on the
United States by new and voluntary
ones that will serve much the same
purpose of keeping Filinlnos and
Americans partners.
A Slick Performance.
The victor of the recent electoral
struggle in these islands, struggle
which. in the eyes OF competent
American witnesses, was as Sick
performance as anything ever seen
in the; United States, received me
today In the little pavilion in the
park facing the official Malacanang
Palace. Six weeks ago when 1
passed through Manila on my way
to Singapore. I had been advised
by the Presidents friends not to
seek an interview. He is far too
i'll" Others had said frankly that
so far as they were concerned, they
had written the President of as
dying man"
II the man 7 saw before me today
Is moribund. then most OF us are
dead men. For the little President
spoke with the fire Of youth and
undamped vitality. His handclaSp
was firm, his voice was virile, his
mind was emitting sparks.
"Of course, we want our lnde-
pendence as much as ever, he
began in answer to my question
whether in view of the obvious
japanese peril, he and his people
did not wish to reconsider their
position under the Tydings-Mc-
Duffie Act now instead of waiting
for 1916.
"I shall cease to be President in
the meantime. but by that time l
may be President again!" And he
prinned at me knowingly.
Would Serve Again in 1945.
Then he went on to explain how
he himself had insisted on changing
the Philippine constitution so that
the presidential term would be tour
rather than six years and that no
one should be President OF the
Philippine Commonwealth more
than eight years in succession.
Therefore. two years from now
I shall withdraw" he explained,
"and the Vice President will take
nv place. I shall rest. I need a
rest badly. And in 1945 there will
BE- . new election and if my people
still want me, 1 shall not refuse to
serve
Another quick smile. And I un-
derstood that this man wanted TO
be back at the helm at the moment
that the complete independence he
had fought for was realized to en-
ioy the triumph he would have de-
served. but also to see that complete
Independence was not taken by other
Filipinos to mean separation from
the United States. something that
Manuel Quezon decidedly does not
desire.
Ignorance Blamed.
How do you account for the fact
that other Asiatic peoples. the In
dians. the Burmese, the Javanese,
do not seem to understand that
however distasteful British or Dutch
rule may be, Japanese rule, as meas
ured by the treatment of Koreans
and Mancnukuans, might be 10
times worse?" I asked.
by their ignorance" he snapped
back. When I was crossing to the
States, Indian nationalists on the
boat came to see me and talk about
self-government. If you were capa-
BILE of self government in India. you
would have had it so years ago, I
told them. You are 300,000000. All
you would have to do to get rid
of the British would be to breathe.
But you would have to breathe to-
gether. You can't do that and until
you can. you will not be free And
the same is true of the Javanese.
But I tell them all, this is not
the time to revolt against a rela-
lively mild master in order to get
a cruel one. I have been warning
Asiatics against Japan for years.
Yet. just imagine, the silly Dutch
would not let me into Java the last
time I wanted to GO Once more
he laughed that contagious, friendly
laugh.
you Filipinos might be of great
use in aiding to bring home the
facts of life to Indians. Burmese
and Javanese today" I suggested.
would YOU consent to collaborate?"
I'VE would collaborate with the
UnlleO states IN every possible way.
President Quezon answered, sud-
denly serious. Just as we are doing
with the Army" He began to grin
again Il obtained the creation of
our army as the first act of the
Independent commonwealth. And
was I damned for doing so in the
United States! Some publication
yes, the New York Nation-got me
before sort of examining board
and declared I was seeking an army
in order to overthrow Philippine
independence and liberty, to play
dictator like South American.
Oswald Garrison Willard said that
about me. Just imagine
And now? Now where would we
be and where would you be if there