Evening star., 1942-02-02
War in Philippines Reveals
Francis Soyre as Fighter
Hiqh Commissioner
EorIy Nailed Jups'
False Friendship
BY FRANK 1. WELLER,

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BY FRANK 1. WELLER,
Wide World News Service.
Washington pauses long at the
name Of Francis Bowes Sayre, kind
ly scholar, when 1t ponders the
fortune Of Americans trapped in the
Philippine Islands.
At present, the United States high
commissioner Is safe, so far as the
State Department knows. or Is per-
mitted to disclose. His whereabouts
necessarily are secret. Friends say
the japanese, whose false friend
ship he nailed the moment he set
foot on the islands, would consider
him q prime prisoner.
Oficials here allow one to assume
that Mr.. 'Sayre and Philippine Presi-
denC Quezon were rushed to com.
parative safety by the military COM
mand when it declared Manila an
open city. Both dropped out OF
sight just before japanese occu-
patton. Some here believe the Japa-
nese associate both with the secret
free Filipino" radio sation which
has crossed up their propaganda
plans for native cooperation" by
constantly assuring deliverance and
breaking up Japanese broadcasts.
Mr.. Sayre's last public words to
America, heard in a radio appeal
while bombs beat down on Manila,
pledged the utmost resistance Of
the islanders but urged the main
land-almost prophetic Of Gen. Mac
Arthur's present dilemma-to come
on! Come on! Come on!" with
help for the garrisons.
Calls for Fight Back.
Turning to the local population,
this physically slight little man Of
vast courage challenged Manila to
fight back with the resolute courage
Of London, Moscow and Chungking
"Manaila can take 1t, too," he told
the proud and warlike Filipino, who
almost Immediately was to begin
sabotage Of invader rule, "and help
surely is coming-help Of sufficient
adequacy and power that the in
vader will be driven from our midst
and made powerless ever
to threaten us again. We have rare
opportunity to show the stuff Of
which We are made!"
The commissioner, now 81, sue
ceeded to the post vacated three
years ago by Paul v. McNutt. Some
in Congress murmured against Civ
ing 50 important q job on the thresh-
old of q potential and powerful
enemy to q man as much the pro
fessor type" and as peace-minded
as Mr.. Sayre.
He was born Of deeply religious
parents In Bethlehem, Pa, and Is
an ardent Episcopal churchman.
His only brother Is an ordained min
lister. Mr.. Sayre has taught gov
ernment at Williams College and
law at Harvard. Like his father-in-
law, Woodrow Wilson. he advocated
q co-responsibility of all nations
to promote peace and prosperity.
Shows Him As Fighter.
War showed that Mr.. Sayre.
standing feet 8 and weighing q
scant $50 pounds, was far more the
fighter than the friendliest critic
had supposed. And he was much
ahead of most Of them in vision
and foresight.
As early as 1887, while Assistant
Secretary Of State, he warned a
national preaching mission assem-
bled at Richmond, Va, not to be
"misled into thinking that neu-
traity can save our own country"
He asked: Are you going to stand
supinely by and wait with hands
folded for oncoming destruction?"
Much as he had labored against
war, he saw no hope of avoiding a
clash with the Axis. In Washington,
in 1898, he told the American So
ciety of International Law that the
United States must be resoiute
and prepared to Withstand ag-
gression by lawlessness."
This does not mean desire for
war;" he added. War is evil in
carnate. But :" some things
are worse than fighting, if fighting
be in defense Of life and principle" /"
Warned Of Wars Approach.
On October IA, 1941, while some
Of his colleagues still talked Of ap-
peasing Japan, the high commits
sioner told a meeting of Manila
business men that gradually the
United States is moving closer 10
the brink of war" and announced
that he, personally, had taken .up
a sword to carry on economic war
fare against island enemies. He
halted all exports. except under Ii
cense, of critical products he saw
aliens siphoning away.
Mr.. Sayre first came prominently
into the Washington scene in 1888
when another Wilson disciple,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, made him
an Assistant Secretary Of State to
head up Secretary Hulls reciprocal
trade agreements program. BY this
means, the administration had
hoped 70 eounteract high tariffs In
this hemiphsrs and the nazToV b.