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

the freedom which her ances-
tors had poured so much blood.
sweat and tears to obtain. For
once she had vision Of a splen.
did future; future promising
of e glorious independence. of a
self fulfillment. self govern
ment. and seh-expression
But before the realization OF
that vision, warlike nation
greedy for power and mad with
fanatical ambition, sought to in
terfere with America. At once
America was involved in a world
conflict" I,
During the reading of the page
ant thus far 1t had been inter-
spersed with the blare of trumpet,
singing by a chorus, a dance and
the playing of Japanese march,
which heralded the approach of
the Nipponese on the scene of
Philippine history.
Old Glory Falls
Young Montemayor likened the
japanese invasion as unto a
bright morning" that had sud-
denly" turned into "a dark and
ominous night" He summed up
the downfall of his people in
these terse sentences: The flag
of freedom was smitten down. In
these islands Amrica was crushed,
and with America, freedom, and
with freedom, happiness. No
more could Filipinos find peace
in her quiet life; no more could
she find happiness in her nipa
hut-for the Pearl of the Orient
Seas was in the cruel grip of an
Oriental oppresSor. :
In referring to the Mikados
wonderful" plan of uniting all
people Of the brown and yellow
races. the author wrote: THE
japanese. pulling up his sleeve
before the Filipino. displayed
his brown arm. declaring in
w5rds the common brother
hood of all Asiatic nations. But
again and again. that brown
arm fell down to strike and
slap his brothers face. proving
IN deeds that he intended TO
be in that brotherhood not only
the eldest brother but the brutal
MASTER"
Montemayor related that the
Filipino was told to work hard
er for a common Co-Prosperity
Sphere. But all the fruits of his
laborS were reserved for the ex-
elusive service and prosperity of
what was called the glorious en-
pire of Nippon"
Worse Than Slaves
Yet these things" the youth
wrote, may be passed over, for
they might be considered as the
rights of a conqueror. But in
giving this country a mock indie
pendence, whereby the Philip
pines were declared to all the
world to be free, whereas in real
ity was worse than slave, max
ing it laughing stock of its own
self, Japan was trying to drag
the Filipino to a moral and intel
lectual level as low and. as dis
honorable as his,
Montemayor wrote that lit is
clear that Japan did not read his
tory, else it would have known
that coercion and deceit can new
er succeed in this corner of the
globe" He described heroes of
the Philippines who 'labored in
the night" that they might have
a peaceful dawn. He said that
the noble dead of Bataan and
Corregidor will answer to you
(the heroes" and that I'VE have
faith in Divine Providence. That
was the answer to Japan's ig-
norance. Had the Japs under
stood the Filipinis they would
have known that many of these
carabao-driving farmers could
perform deeds no less heroic than
what the Spartans did at Their
mopylae, like del Pillar and his
men at Triad Pass.
This scourge." he wrote.
must have been sent in love.
not in disfavor. Perhaps to let
US know how we might have
sometimes abused His love.
Perhaps that we might. see
more the value of what He is
about to give US. Or perhaps.
that the bonds that bind TO-
gether the great Democracy of
the West and her loyal Citidel
in the East may be rendered
more unbreakable and eternal.
But one thing is certain: that
this scourge will come to an
end. The night will pass
and a brighter dawn will come.
Already we hear from the East
the angel of victory Tapping
its wings -"
1t was at this point that Monte
mayor brought in the voices OF
Roosevelt and Macarthur. He
quoted Roosevelt as saying: Il as.
sure you that the Philippine!
shall be redeemed and her indie.
pendence shall be established anc
protected"
mo amount of despair can ever
darken our faith in those words,
he wrote, because they came
from the lips of President Roose.