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be many millions greater than would otherwise be necessary. If, on the other hand, the policy shall be to retain control over them, but, in the event of foreign attack, not to attempt their defense but to abandon them to their fate, as has been suggested by military men, we shall risk inviting the scorn of the world and of standing humiliated in the presence of all mankind. The issue is clean cut, and there is no escaping it. If the Philippines are to be held indefinitely, the same protection must be extended to them as is afforded every other foot of United States territory. The difficulty, if not the impossibility, of successfully defending territory located in the Eastern Hemisphere, and separated from continental United States by the Pacific Ocean, must be apparent to the average intelligence, and yet holding and governing them against the consent of their inhabitants increases rather than lessens the obligation to defend them.

If the United Satets should unfortunately become involved in war with any first-class military and naval power, the Philippines would constitute our most vulnerable point of attack, and therefore it can not but be apparent that so long as they are held as an American colony they will prove a source of national weakness and a constant menace to our peace and happiness as a people. Is it possible that national considerations such as these shall not outweigh those of individual selfishness and corporate greed?

CLARKE AMENDMENT APPROVED IN PHILIPPINES.

The unfounded statement that the Filipinos do not desire the fixing of an early and definite date for their independence, and that there is considerable opposition to this bill on the part of substantial Filipinos is being widely disseminated in the United States. It is well known that organized effort is being made by some Americans resident in the Philippines to create such an impression, and that this effort is being materially aided and actively encouraged by certain business interests in this country, but the truth is that public sentiment throughout the archipelago is to-day, despite the activities of these political propagandists, stronger than ever before in favor of early independence. It is also true that the independence provisions of this bill are well understood in the Philippines; that the bill itself has not only been widely printed in both English and Spanish but that it has been translated into Tagalog, published in pamphlet form, broadly circulated, eagerly read and enthusiastically approved. When the Clarke amendment was pending before the Senate, namely, on January 25, 1916, the Philippine Assembly unanimously passed the following resolution approving its provisions:

Whereas the Clarke amendment to the Philippine bill now pending before the Senate of the United States specifies the conditions under which independence shall be granted to the people of the Philippine Islands, expedites the granting of that independence, and safeguards the internal and external affairs of the said islands pending the granting of said independence.

Whereas said amendment makes the independence provision of the preamble more clear, explicit, unequivocal, and expeditious, and fixes the responsibilities which the people of the United States and the people of the Philippine Islands shall respectively assume before and after the granting of said independence: Therefore, Resolved, That the Philippine Assembly should recommend, as it does hereby respectfully recommend, the passage of said amendment by the Congress and the President of the United States.

It has also received the unqualified approval of Gov. Gen. Harrison, as expressed in two cablegrams addressed to the chairman of the Insular Affairs Committee, and the speaker of the assembly has sent to Commissioner Quezon the following cablegram expressing the gratitude of his people over the action of this committee in favorably reporting the Senate bill:

QUEZON, Washington:

CEBU, P. I., March 3, 1916.

Please convey to Mr. Jones and members of the Committee on Insular Affairs the most sincere gratitude of the people of the Philippines for their action in favorably reporting the Senate bill. We hope that every effort will be made to secure the speedy enactment of this bill. The time has certainly arrived when the reiterated promise of the American people to grant the Philippines independence should be fulfilled.

OSMEÑA.

It has been recently published in various newspapers in this country, under conspicuous Manila date lines, that prominent Filipinos resident in the Visayan Islands desired that independence should be postponed for 20 years. The following copy of a cablegram from the city of Iloilo, sent by the president of the Progresista Party, is interesting in this connection:

Congressman JONES, Washington, D. C.:

ILOILO, P. I., March 8, 1916.

Meeting Iloilo people called by Progresista Party emphatically disapproves petition presented to Shuster by certain Filipinos favoring independence within 20 years. Progresistas supported by people of Iloilo request immediate approval Jones bill with

Clarke amendment.

MONTINOLA, President Progresistas.

The passage of this bill will mark an epoch in American history. It will carry with it the gladsome assurance that the American Government will not sanction an imperialistic colonial policy such as would mean the abandonment of the principles upon which it was founded; it will furnish indubitable evidence that the American conscience has not been deadened by the lust of territorial aggrandizement; and it will establish in the hearts and minds of the Filipino people as nothing else could the solemn conviction that the American people steadfastly hold to the creed of the fathers of the Republic and still believe that liberty is the birthright of man and that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.

O

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. {REPT. 499

POLITICAL STATUS OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

APRIL 12, 1916.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. TOWNER, from the Committee on Insular Affairs, submitted the

following

VIEWS OF THE MINORITY.

[To accompany S. 381.]

HOW WE ACQUIRED THE PHILIPPINES.

Early in the year 1898 the state of public feeling in the United States regarding the treatment by Spain of Cuba had become so intensified as to threaten the pacific relations existing between the United States and Spain. A long period of corrupt administration, plundering, and cruelty had culminated in such acts of barbarity and terrorism in the attempt by Spain to suppress the Cuban insurrection as to excite the indignation and sympathy of the American people. A crisis was produced on the morning of the 15th of February by news that the U. S. battleship Maine, while paying a visit of courtesy to the harbor of Habana, was wrecked by an explosion which destroyed the ship and killed most of her crew. Investigation followed, with the result that it was determined "the ship was destroyed by the explosion of a submarine mine."

April 18 Congress passed a resolution demanding that Spain at once relinquish its authority and government in Cuba and gave the President authority to enforce such demand. At the same time. Congress declared that this country disclaimed any purpose to itself control the island "except for the pacification thereof," and asserted its determination to leave the government and control of the island to its people as soon as its pacification had been accomplished.

War ensued. On the 25th of April Commodore George Dewey, commanding the Asiatic Squadron, then located in Hongkong, received an order from the Secretary of the Navy as follows:

War has commenced between the United States and Spain. Proceed to Philippine Islands. Commence operations at once, particularly against the Spanish fleet. You must capture vessels or destroy. Use utmost endeavora

On May 1 the country was thrilled by a message from Dewey saying he had destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. It was a glorious victory; one of the great events of the world's history.

Later Dewey reported:

I can take Manila at any moment. To retain possession and thus control Philippine Islands would require, in my judgment, a well-equipped force of 5,000 men.

Soon troops were sent, Manila was occupied, and Spanish authority in the islands destroyed forever.

August 12 a protocol was signed between the United States and Spain by which Spain relinquished her sovereignty in Cuba, ceded Porto Rico to the United States, and agreed that "the United States will occupy and hold the city, bay, and harbor of Manila pending the conclusion of a treaty of peace which shall determine the control, disposition, and government of the Philippines."

The treaty of peace was signed at Paris December 10, 1898. It provided for the cession of the Philippine Islands to the United States. Special provisions for Spanish subjects and Spanish interests were made, and the United States agreed to pay Spain $20,000,000.

On October 28, 1898, Mr. Hay, then Secretary of State, cabled to the American commissioners then in Paris negotiating the treaty the views of President McKinley as to what should be done with the Philippine Islands. He said:

It is imperative upon us that as victors we should be governed only by motives which will exalt our Nation. Territorial expansion should be our least concern; that we shall not shirk the moral obligations of our victory is the greatest.

After discussing the probable consequences of our withdrawal, he adds:

Consequently, grave as are the responsibilities and unforeseen as are the difficulties which are before us, the President can see but one plain path of duty-the acceptance of the Archipelago. Greater difficulties and more serious complications—administrative and international-would follow any other course.

The position of the United States regarding the acquisition of the Philippines was that it was impossible for Spain to maintain her authority in the Philippines. It was equally impossible for the people of the United States to leave the people of the Philippines longer subject to the domination of Spain. To withdraw from the islands would have been to subject the people to the continuance of revolt, with the prospect of final subjugation and continued misrule. If the revolution against Spain should succeed and Spanish authority be overthrown the islands would become the scene of internal wars and soon become the spoil of some other nation. It was known that Spain was considering selling the Philippines. Early in November, while treaty negotiations were in progress, it was reported that Spain was to sell the islands to France. Spanish securities rose in the market on the strength of that report. It was known that Germany was very anxious to obtain Spain's possessions in the Pacific. After the treaty was signed with the United States, Spain sold to Germany her three remaining Pacific groups, the Carolinas, the Pelews, and the Ladrones, except Guam. So ardently did Germany desire the Philippines that when Dewey was in Manila Bay following his victory, von Diederich, the German admiral, assembled the entire German fleet of the Pacific in Manila Bay, where his insolent interference with Dewey almost led to an open rupture.

There was no other course for the United States but to take over the islands and assume their government and control.

In the war with Spain every contest on land and sea was an American victory. In a short but glorious campaign the war ended in the complete success of the United States. No thought of conquest, no greed for spoils, no purpose of national aggrandizement tarnished the high purpose with which the United States reluctantly declared war on Spain. It was a war unsought and patiently resisted until the rising tide of sympathy and indignation became too strong to be repressed. The acquisition of any territory as a reason for entering upon the war was not entertained. On the contrary, it was expressly disclaimed. Porto Rico and the Philippines came to us not as spoils of war but as incidents of war. They could not be turned back to Spain, nor cast adrift, nor left to the rapacity of predatory nations. We took them in the prosecution of the war. We hold them because it is our duty to do so. In taking them we gave to ten millions of the human race 66 a new birth of freedom." But at the same time we took upon ourselves a new and a noble responsibility.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

In

To understand how that responsibility has been met the conditions at that time existing in the Philippines should be recalled. The archipelago consists of over 3,000 islands, situated in the southwestern Pacific. The total area is about 115,000 square miles. At the commencement of the American occupation the inhabitants of the islands numbered between seven and eight millions. The population consisted of many tribes scattered throughout the islands. development these tribes ranged from the lowest savage to individuals of intelligence, culture, and refinement. There was no Philippine nation, there was no entity that could be known as the Philippine people, for there was no unity of thought, race, language, religion, development, physical or moral characteristics. Few of the people were educated at all. Eighty per cent were illiterate. There were but few schools. There was no participation by the people in their government. The Spaniard's want of sympathy with an inferior people and his egregious incapacity for government had made conditions in the islands lamentable in the extreme.

Such was the situation at the commencement of the American occupancy. To civilize and unify 8,000,000 of people such as before described was the gigantic task undertaken by the United States. How that task has been accomplished constitutes one of the most splendid chapters of American history.

We have established a civil government which has given the Filipinos their first experience in self-government. We have accomplished the complete pacification of the islands. We have established courts of justice both for the punishment of crime and the settlement of controversy. We have given the people of the Philippines a rule of law under which no person can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

We found the Philippines one of the plague spots of the world and have made it the most healthful of oriental or tropical countries. We have practically abolished smallpox, have almost prevented the recurrence of cholera, have about eliminated the bubonic plague, have

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