Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-12
Our Philippine Policy
Pays Some Dividends
Guerrilla Movement in the Islands
Reciprocates Our Friendship
By Ben McKeltody.

NeclprOcateS Our friendship
By Ben McKeltoay.
Guardedly written stories, have APP
peared from time to time about the
Filipino guerrillas, how they helped with
our landings on Leyte and are harass-
ing the Japanese there now; how our
military leaders have maintained con-
tact with them during the Japanese
occupation and how we count on them
to help us as we extend our operations
to. liberate the islands as another STEP
ping stone to Tokyo.
Why do they help US? why, Of all
the people in Japanese conquered terri
tories OF the Pacific, are the Filipinos
alone In forming and keeping alive
underground resistance movements,
comparable in spirit and purpose with
those OF Europe? Is 1t due to the Amer
lean influence Of four decades OF SOW
ereignty over the Philippine Islands,
which was to have terminated July 4,
l946. In complete independence? Or is
1t due to some quality of the people
themselves, giving them love of free
dom and hatred Of oppression that
seems to set them apart from other
conquered people in other parts of the
Far East?
Perhaps 1t Is combination of the
two. Resistance or insurrectionist move
ments had developed among the Fill
ipinos against the Spaniards long before
we first set foot on the islands In the
war with Spain. They had their own
patriot martyrs In such men as Rizal,
Jaena and Burgos before Aquinaldo at
tempted to set himself up as q symbol
OF independence that turned Filipinos
against our own soldiers in 1899. It is
interesting to recall that the last flame
OF that instruction against the Amer
leans died on the Island of Samar, sep
arated only by q narrow strait from
Leyte. with the surrender of the Filipino
general, Miguel Malvar, In 1902-four
years after we had undertaken the con-
quest of the Philippines.
Gen. MacArthur's father, Arthur Mac
Arthur, who played a major part in
pacifying the Philippines after defeat
OF the Spaniards, had healthy respect
for the people with whom he was deal.
Ing. While serving as military gov
ernor Of the islands Q900- 1902 he made
prophetic observation with which his
son may be familiar.
I do not know where they got It,"
he said, yet it is fact that the Fill
lpinos alone in the Far East have some.
now been imbued with the 10th cen.
fury spirit. They have ideals. Their
evolution will be so swift it will surprise
us. and am sure they will become thor
oughly Americanized and an addition
to the United States to be proud of. If
we ever have a war in the East they
will fight for us. OF all the Eastern
colonial soldiers, they are the best stun"
The Filipinos have the stuff OF patri-
OTIS and soldiers. But it is to cur credit
as a Nation that our accidental expert
ment In Far Eastern imperialism" a
term which William Jennings Bryan
loved to roll around on his tongue.
helped to cultivate that stun in FASH
ION that remains unique among COM
parable undertakings. Those who have
been in the Philippines and have known
the Filipinos have no doubt that they
are genuine in their friendship for
| America and Americans and that they
Will never be content to sit on the side
lines while two powerful nations Tight
to control their homeland. This fight
against the japanese is their tight as
much as our own. 1t might not have
turned out that way. American policy
In the Philippines had something to do
with 1t. This policy was for the most
part based on the altruistic theory that
our annexation Of the islands placed us
under moral obligation to the Fill
plnos, which prevented exploitation, in
the usual sense, of conquered territory.
We went about fulfilling that obliga-
ton In what can be called, without
boastfulness, typically American fash
Ion. One of the first messages sent to
the United States by Gen. Elwell S.
OTIS after surrender of the Spaniards
requested shipments of text books for
the schools he planned to reopen and to
establish. Within two weeks after the
fall OF Manila, schools were being opened
IN the city under American Army chap
lalns, and later on qualified noncommis.
stoned officers were being assigned to
teach school until relieved by civilians
imported from America. The largest
school enrolment under the Spaniards
was about 100000. After II years
under American sovereignty $4,000
F1hpinos were enrolled, and before
the japanese came this number had
more than doubled. The fever to edu-
cate the Filipino was characteristic of
our approach. Under American SOW
ereignty the Filipinos built good roads,
water systems, opened great areas for
rice cultivation by irrigation, construct
ed port facilities, practically eliminated
cholera and other epidemics that UNI
der Spanish rule periodically reduced
the population, developed industries
which, under the arrangement permit
ting Philippine products free access to
American markets, gave the Filipinos
the highest standard Of living in the
East.
Many comparable improvements were
made by colonial governments of other
powers In the East. But there was a
difference, difference in attitude
toward the natives which undoubtedly
is paying dividends in loyalty now. The