Evening star., 1953-03-08

opposition Nacionalistas have been
girding for months for the show
down fight in the elections in No.
vember of a President and Vice
President, one-third of the Senate
and the entire membership of the
lower house of Congress.
More than a month ago, MagSay-
say announced that as long as he
was national defense secretary, the
army would be used to insure fair
elections. Promptly DR.. Jose Laurel,
titular head of the Nacionalistas and
unsuccessful candidate against Qui-
rino in 1949, published an open let
ter suggesting that he and Quirino
withdraw and name MagSaysay as
the presidential nominee of both
parties
Presidents PIons
Quirino did not answer directly.
Instead he accepted the call to run
for a third term as the Liberal cam
didate and his brother, Antonio Qui-
rino, openly attacked Magsaysays
conduct of the Hulk campaign. An
tonic was one of the Liberal Senate
candidates defeated in 1851 and in
the Philippines his voice is often
known to speak for the President.
Magsaysay resigned. The Nacion-
alistas have offered him the presi-
Dental nomination, unofflcially. but
he has not. at this writing, made
known his decision.
Whether Magsaysay runs, or con-
tents himself with the role Of critic.
his resignation has concentrated the
principal issues in the campaign on
agrarian reform and the position Of
the army as the decisive factor in
free elections this fall. The United
States has fostered democratic gov
ernment in the islands and has pro-
claimed it's interest in agrarian re-
forms as a means of improving the
condition of the masses as an anti
dote to Communist propaganda ap-
peal.
Dictatorship Looms
While Quirino has gone along. thus
far, with the principal points OF
American foreign policy, such as
defense bases, he has undeniably
been showing sympathy for the
Franco-Peron type of dictatorship.
Only recently Quirino attempted to
revive his wartime emergency pow
ers to govern by decree when Con-
gresS refuses to follow his plans. A
test case is now before the Supreme
Court. Observers think there is a
distinct possibility of an armed re-
volt if the will of the people is cir
cumvented by a repetition this fall
of the frauds and oppression which
marked the 1949 election. Only the
Communists could benefit by such
a rising, regardless of the intentions
of the revolters.
The United States also has been
considering more aid grants. To
act now on such plans would be
taken only as an Endorsement of the
Quirino regime and would embitter
the Nacionalistas.
Repercussions from the situation
may reach into the United Nations.
Carlos P. Romulo, who repeatedly
was offered the Vice Presidents slot
on the Quirino ticket, is an
avowed candidate for the post Of
secretary general to be vacated by
Trygve Lie. Romulo has given the
impression that he has United States
support. At home he has long been
one of the principal targets of the
Nacionalistas. Advocacy of Romulo
now by the United States might
also be interpreted as approval Of
Quirino.
A "wait and see" policy by the
United States until after the elec-
tions seems to be the only solution.
yet even that is fraught with peril
because Of the shaky economic con-
dition of the Philippines.