Evening star., 1942-02-15
By Jon;es G. Win9o

GEN. EMILIO AGUINALDO
Veteran Filipino tnsurrectionist,
DhO, says the War Department.,
is being used by the Japanese as
"a sort of Qutsling."-A. P. Photo.
Of the Philippines" and Mayor Of Manila
When President Quezon left Manila late
in December. he named Vargas the head
of four-man emergency cabinet to take
charge of the government and also with
Gen. Douglas MacArthur's approvaD the
acting Mayor of the city which was
about to be declared open.
If the Toxic report that Vargas has
willingly accepted leadership in the
vassal government is true, the japanese
have chosen the best-equipped Filipino
to run the kind of civil government that
the invaders want for the time being
Although. unlike many of his cabinet
members, he has no personal political
following, Vargas, longtime bureau
crat, knows the insular governments s
machinery better than any other man.
Position Is Strong.
Furthermore, he has no bitter political
enemies. He has never run for an elec-
tive public Office. The Japanese appar-
emily realized that Vargas would be the
man whose elevation to leadership in the
new government would cause the least
amount Of Jealousy.
The appointment of genial plump,
short, moon-faced, 51-year -old Vargas to
the highest post the japanese can give
to Filipino was no haphazard selection.
The invaders were well acquainted with
his record, which through the years was
friendly toward Japan. When they first
retained him as Manila's Mayor early in
January. the japanese announced that
they were quite aware of Vargas friend
illness in the past but were more inter-
ested in his current attitude.
Some years ago Vargas, as president
of the Philippine Amateur Athletic As
sociation, saved Japan's face when he
recognized Manchukuo as a distinct
country at the Far Eastern Olympic
Games at Manila over the strong objec-
tions of China and some other Far East
ern countries. To do the japanese a
great favor he braved the displeasure of
many of his countrymen as well as that
of Manila Americans.
Again in 1899 he pleased the japanese
immensely when he rebuked Manila S
Security for sponsoring boycott against
japanese goods with posters which read,
Every dime you spend on Japanese
goods comes back in bombs and bullets. 4"
Presidential Secretary Vargas, with the
approval of President Quezon, who had
been consistently friendly to his Far
Eastern neighbor, told the boycotters
that they had "infringed rule of con-
duct which should govern the relations
between the Philippines and a friendly
nation" The boycott leaders were ar
rested and charged with violation of the
major offense of provoking war likely to
involve the Philippines.
Son of Inventor.
Jorge Vargas was born of well-to-do
parents in Negros Occidental, center of
the Philippine sugar industry and a
province in the still uninvaded Visayan
Islands His father was the inventor of
the Vargas plow"
After passing the Philippine bar exam
nations, he returned to the Visayan Is
lands to practice his profession. His
legal career ended abruptly when an
American judge, impatient with the
young lawyers handling of a case, blunt
ly advised him in court to 60 back to
Manila and take law course again.
Vargas returned to Manila but not to
the university. He took job as law
clerk to the Philippine Commission, an
Filipino body which then leg
islated for the insular government. This
was in 1915, and he has been on the
government payroll ever since.
Vargas rise as bureaucrat was rapid
and steady. He served as departmental
chief clerk, legislative secretary of the
House of Representatives, executive sec
retary to independence missions to
Washington, director Of various bureaus.
He was undersecretary of agriculture
and commerce when, in 1885, President
Quezon took him to Malacanang Palace
as presidential secretary, later with ex
oficio membership in the executive
cabinet.
When Quezon visited the United States
in 1887, Vargas acted on the common
wealth Presidents behalf instead Of
Vice President Sergio Osmena. He was
more than Harry Hopkins or Stephen
Early to Quezon. He exercised consid-
erable executive power and was director
in many government corporations.
Friend and foe used to call him THE
Little Dictator"
Vargas belongs to Manila's leading
clubs. He speaks and writes well in
English, Spanish and several Philippine
dialects. He knows Americans and for
eign residents in the Philippines IS well
Is his people. He is in good position TO
look after the interests Of Ill the Islands