The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1945-04-24

youth relates. ''For that reason,
no one can ever conquer him by
victory in battle alone. For be-
ing a man of peace, he. can only
be conquered in peace. And this
was Japan's greatest failure, and
the greatest failure of all nations
like her, the failure that brings
to naught all their great sue
ceSSeS.
For Japan. after conquering
the seas and ports. and the for
tresses of Bataan and Corregi-
dor. failed to win that most i'm
portant battie-the battle of the
nipa hut-wasre the Filipino.
and for fiat matter. any other
human being like a human be-
ing. unyielding in war or death.
can be reconquered in peace.
Greatness Of America
And herein lies the greatness
of America. Spain ruled this
country for three centuries. Yet
the end of those three hundred
Hears still found the Filipino
slashing with his bolo the Span
iards' threats. The American
flag was first hoisted over these
islands at the dawn of the twen-
tieth century In the lapse of
forty years the Philippines was
so conquered by this flag, that
when a treacherous invader
came to strike this flag down,
one hundred thousand Filipinos,
the whole strength of the ma
TONS manpower, Drawing the on
slaught of an over-powering
enemy, stood ready to Starve and
bleed to death that that same
flag should not fall to the
ground In less than half a CEN
fury, they had become so de-
voted to that flag, that when it,
had to fall, they chose to fall
with it, so that with it, they too
might kiss the dust and ignominy
of a common defeat"
What greater tribute can be
paid to this peace-loving nation
that is ours. a nation that
wishes not to enslave any peo-
pie but to free them.
Montemayor wrote that this
decision of the PHILIPPINE people
was revealed in the mountains of
Bataan and the rock of Corregi-
dor, in the prison camps and
later in the mountain caves and
recesses. what bonds of 10y
atty and love can possibly exist
between a dependent nation and
its sovereign nation" as this that
existed then" but never before
in the history of the world"
This is the meaning of victory
in the battle of the nipa hut. This
is how America had conquered
us before. and now conquers
us again. This is how America
conquers the world today.
with liberty and democracy" the
youth declared. Some would say
that America conquers the world
with money, and for money.
While it is true that America is
rich, and knows how to stay
rich, it is likewise true that there
is no other nation so rich in
honor, justice, and freedom as
it is rich in gold. But what
all these people will never for
get, is the soldier that left his
home and sacrificed his youth
and came to break the chains
that bound their arms. No
wonder God has blessed such a
nation! No wonder such nation
has become great!
America. you have restored
the Filipino his home and his
happiness. Perhaps in your
worldwide mission of liberia
ton. this would seem insight
cant. But it IS the greatest
thing you can ever do for the
Filipino.
Perhaps the nipa hut is small,
and can give you neither riches
nor power But from this day on
you will always find in that
-nipa hut a brother. .s.t
He Is Free" |9.to4
He may be darker than you
are. He may not be as big ana as
rich as you are. But like you, he
is free. Like you, he is honor
able. Like YOU he can fight.
Give him a bolo, or give him a
tommy-gun. The weapon does
not matter. For in the cause of
liberty he can clutch either
with a fire worthy of his noble
ancestors.
His land can or cannot be
of much value for the achieve
ment of final victory in war
But he can always give you his
loyalty - the loyalty that fol-
lowed you on the bloody trails
of Bataan-the loyalty that re-
manned with you in the starva-
ton agony. and death. of Cor
reqidor-the. LOYALTY that made