Philippines Now

Becomes Inedependent State But Still Has Protection and Financial Support of United States

ON American Independence Day—July 4 —the Commonwealth of the Philip pines became an independent republic . and Manuel Roxas its first President under the new regime.

It will be remembered that Roxas de cisively defeated Osmena (who had step ped into Quezon’s shoes when he died in the USA in 1944) at the presidential elections in the Philippines in April.

Roxas was the leader of a breakaway section of the Conservative Party, and, during the Japanese occupation, a mem ber of the Japanese puppet Government.

It has been wondered why Roxas was not cast into jail with the other col laborators, but General MacArthur has stated that Roxas was left in the Philip pines with a special job to do —which presumably he performed. At all events he is now President and has the active help and the 100 per cent, encouragement of the United States.

He will certainly need all the aid and sympathy he can get. As he himself said in a broadcast to Australia, which was relayed over the National Network on July 3: “We are rebuilding a land levelled

by war and an economy disrupted by destruction. We are starting almost at our foundations, and we are starting as an independent nation, looking forward to establishing new associations and lay ing new economic highways. We hope and propose to broaden our contacts and to enter into mutually beneficial trade relationships with all our neighbours.

“To-day, unfortunately, our exports are small and are confined to plantation crops which were not completely devas tated or stolen by the Japanese. But that is only a temporary situation. It is the result of our having been a battle ground in the war.

“We are told by those who have seen the war zones in Europe and Asia that no land on the face of the globe has suffered more terribly and more com pletely than we. We are told that our land and its people, by our struggles on the side of the Allies, earned a ven geance which was visited upon few other peoples. I know that our capital city, Manila, is a broken and pitiful thing, a shambles, the skeleton of a city. I know that our public buildings and grace ful homes of 1940 are piles of dust and rubble; that many of our farms and fields lie ruined: and that the heavy hands of destruction reached far out into the provinces and remote villages and tiny settlements. There is not a single major part of the Philippines which does not have its tragic ruins of war.” rE promise of independence was made to the Philippines in the Tvdings- McDuffie Act of 1934. It was thought that the disruption of war would delay this for some time but early this year it was announced in Washington that the original plan would be adhered to. This, of course, does not mean that America will withdraw her support. The Philin pines will still be very much under US protection.

An agreement was signed in May that aave the Philinnines preferential trade with the US for the next 28 years—and new Republic's nroducts will be al lowed into the United States duty free for the next eight, after which duties will be anplied pradually. At the same time America will aive direct aid to the Philinnines to the extent of a 525 million d/'llar loan and inn million dollars worth of surplus war "pods.

President Roxas and his ministers, however, have their full share of head aches. In common with most Asiatic or semi-Asiatic races, as soon as the strong hand of organised Government is re moved the country falls into sectional snuabbling. At present, for example, there is a minor civil war going on in Luzon where the local variety of Com munists —the Huks—are running a rebel lion.

The Philippines experiment is being watched with great interest by all in terested in Colonial administration. Not

withstanding the immediate troubles of the Philippines, which are largely an aftermath of war, the new Republic, with America’s help, has a chance of becom ing a young, united and vigorous nation.

If on the other hand the people them selves succumb to the usual Indo-Asian failings, and do not rise about local poli tics. we can expect disruption, economic stagnatip" and general retrogression.