American Or Japanese?
p. 60 · Read in the full issue
Problems for the Philippines
THE United States still is “dithering” with the problem of the Philippines.
Under the Tydings-McDuffie Act, the territory is enjoying increasing independ ence, and it is due to become completely independent in 1946. But, as the Ameri cans move out, the Japanese are moving in; and the Filipinos now are inclined to prefer the devil they know, to the devil they don’t know.
The U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippines, Mr. McNutt, in a speech at Indianapolis in July, advocated retention of the U.S.A. sovereignty over the islands “to preserve peace in the Orient”. He em phasised not only that this was neces sary for the foreign policy of the U.S.A., but also for the economic preservation of the islands. Many Filipino leaders, who campaigned for independence, had changed their minds in the past two years, he said.
“Perhaps suddenly, but, they hope, not too late, many have come to realise that independence, however attractive, may merely mean a trade in sovereignties”, he added.