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their interests. They pointed out that in the 1,000-mile stretch of islands in the Philippines there was an area equal to the combined area of the States of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont.

They pointed out that in this 114,000 square miles of territory there were vast agricultural areas, capable of great development and production, and they significantly reminded the committee that 80 per cent of the imports of products from the Philippine Islands into the United States to-day consists of farm products, while only 20 per cent of the exports of the United States to the Philippines is farm products. Since perhaps not more than one-seventh of the area of the Philippines is developed to-day, these figures give some idea of the extent to which the farmer in America has an interest in the competition from Philippine products.

It may be well to mention at this point that while the agricultural imports from the Philippines are increasing, the United States is at the same time developing irrigation systems with the object of converting to agricultural purposes vast areas of lands in our own western country. All of this new acreage in America is being brought into competition with the farmers who are here to-day. In his present financial condition, the American farmer's interest in Philippine exportations of agricultural products is not to be forgotten or ignored, especially when he is being urged to reduce his acreage and production.

THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR

There appeared before your committee another element in our domestic life, the American Federation of Labor, representing the millions of working men and women of the United States. These representatives of labor called to our attention the matter of Philippine immigration, pointing out that our exclusion laws against certain oriental nations do not apply to the Philippines, that workers from these islands come into America directly or by way of the Hawaiian Islands, and elsewhere, and that already there have been disturbances. in the United States due to the growing number of Philippine laborers whose hire can be obtained at prices far below the standard wages of American workmen and women.

The average daily wage scale in the islands is from 50 to 75 cents a day for field laborers, and for industrial labor an average of $1 a day.

While wages and the standard of living in the islands is from 200 to 300 per cent higher than that obtaining in other oriental countries, it is far below the American standard which, under the present arrangement, must confront Philippine competition.

The interests of union labor, which for 32 years has been advocating Philippine independence, can not be overlooked in disposing of the Philippine question.

Congress has demonstrated that it will not subject the 13,000,000 Filipinos to the rigors of our exclusion act, to our trade barriers, or to other handicaps placed upon the foreigner while these people are held within the jurisdiction and under the protection of American Sovereignty. No foreign nation excludes its colonials from its own domain, nor can America initiate such a policy with propriety.

Again, therefore, considering those questions of economics not related to the Filipinos themselves, but wholly American questions, it is not necessary to decide the Philippine status in favor of one or the other, but it is desirable to solve the Philippine problem for the future in the interest of all these elements of our American life.

While the interests of the American farmer, of the worker, and of the manufacturer should be protected, this protection should come from a constructive settlement of the whole problem from which the complaints arise and not through piecemeal legislation. Such legislation can only result in ill feeling and leave the main cause of the trouble untouched.

We can not, however, blind ourselves to the fact that there is a definite, well-organized movement in America to bring action along the lines of the respective interests affected by the present anomalous conditions. So it would seem to be our duty to take action now on the broader problem, lest at some future date, in emergency or excitement, we might find ourselves applying to these people exclusion laws, tariff barriers, or coastwise shipping restrictions which in common justice we should not apply against them while they remain under our flag.

HISTORICAL FACTS

In 1898 when, as a result of the Spanish-American War, we took over the Philippine Islands, we found an unstable government set up under Spanish domination existing under so-called colonial jurisdiction.

Under Article III of the protocol, signed at Washington in August, 1898, we provided:

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 by which Spain ceded to the United States "the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands," was signed at Paris on December 10, 1898. The beginning of civil government in the Philippine Islands under American sovereignty, as distinguished from purely military administration, dated from the appointment by President McKinley in March, 1900, of what is known as the Taft Philippine Commission.

We separated the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The commission took over the legislative powers. The judicial powers were to be exercised by the courts established through legislative action of the commission, and the authority to exercise the executive powers was continued in the commander of the military forces of the United States. On June 21, 1901, the President issued an order transferring from the military governor to the president of the commission the authority to exercise the executive powers. On July 4, 1901, the late Chief Justice Taft was made civil governor of the Philippine Islands.

Under the act of July 1, 1902, the existing government was continued and the act placed the seal of legislative approval upon the governmental organization. The Philippine Commission was the sole legislative body for the islands. Section 7 of this act authorized and directed the taking of a census and provided that two years after this census a general election should be held for the choice of

delegates to a popular assembly for the islands. The census was taken in 1903 and the Philippine Assembly established in 1907.

In 1916 Congress passed what is known as the Jones law, the present organic act of the Philippine Islands. By this act Congress has given to the Philippines practically all the power that can be granted to them short of complete sovereignty. În accordance with this act the President of the United States appoints the Governor General, the vice governor, who is also the secretary of public instruction, the chief justice, and the eight associate justices of the supreme court, the auditor, and the deputy auditor.

Congress and the Governor General may review and nullify the acts of the Philippine legislative bodies.

The Philippines have been transformed from an impotent colonial possession, with doubtful efficiency of government, to a people largely handling their own affairs, under the supervision of a few American officials.

POLITICAL CAPACITY

Are the Filipinos ready for self-government; can they maintain a stable self-government?

In the Jones Act previously referred to will be found the following preamble, which is a part of our statutory law, and which has laid down the policy we have pursued in our relations to the islands since 1916, as follows:

Whereas, for the speedy accomplishment of such purpose it is desirable to place in the hands of the people of the Philippines as large a control of their domestic affairs as can be given them without, in the meantime, impairing the exercise of the rights of sovereignty by the people of the United States, in order that by the use and exercise of popular franchise and governmental powers they may be better prepared to fully assume the responsibilities and enjoy all the privileges of complete independence.

It is pertinent to inquire whether, under the Jones Act, the Philippine people are exercising all of the functions of government with the exception of sovereignty.

In this connection the following must be considered:

The Philippine people elect the Philippine Senate of 22, two members being appointed to represent the non-Christian. They also elect 86 members of the house, 9 being appointed to represent the non-Christian Provinces. This bicameral body enacts the domestic laws for the Philippine people.

There are only three high executive officials in the Philippine Islands who are not Filipinos. One of these is the governor general, appointed by the President; another is the vice governor, who is secretary of public instruction, and the third is the auditor. The deputy auditor is a Filipino. Of the high judicial officials (the chief justice and eight associates-nine in all) the chief justice and three of the associate justices are Filipinos.

The governors and members of the provincial boards of the 39 regularly organized Provinces, and all members of the legislature from these Provinces, are Filipinos elected by the people.

In the nine specially organized Provinces, five governors are appointed and four elected. Of these 9, 6 are Filipinos and 3 Americans.

From the beginning of American occupation the 900 municipal governments of the islands have been administered practically exclusively by elected Filipinos.

According to the report of the director of civil service of the Philippine Islands, there were on December 31, 1928, only 494 Americans in the civil personnel of the Philippine government, while 19,606 Filipinos were permanently employed under the civil service. Of the 494 Americans, 293 were in the teaching service.

There are 30,000 teachers in 8,000 public schools in the Philippines. Of these teachers only 293 are Americans. The schools are scattered throughout the islands.

Out of the 13,000,000 population, there are more than 1,100,000 enrolled in the public schools alone. There are private colleges and universities in the islands. Some of these institutions are as old as our oldest universities.

It is significant that public order in the Philippines is maintained with unusual vigor and success by what is known as the constabulary, or insular police force. This force is composed of 6,331 Filipinos as enlisted men. Of the 398 officers, 375 are Filipinos.

The Wood-Forbes report on this particular subject states that the Filipinos "are naturally an orderly and law-abiding people," and further that "the constabulary has proved itself to be dependable and thoroughly efficient." The Secretary of War testified that "excellent general conditions of order have existed for over 25 years in the Philippines."

Attention is called at this point to the fact that on the entrance of the United States into the World War the Philippines organized a force and offered it to the United States for service.

At the last election more than 1,000,000 Filipinos voted, notwithstanding each voter is required under the Philippine laws to possess certain electoral qualifications. From 80 to 95 per cent of the registered voters actually vote.

In connection with the holding of elections we have at least one noted authority (the Wood-Forbes report) which says:

Interest in the election was widespread and election day passed without any serious disturbance. There was a general wide acceptance by the minority of the results of the popular vote.

There are only two political parties in the Philippines, the majority and minority parties, whose differences are on domestic problems. They are in agreement as to Philippine independence.

The present government is substantially a popular government. The elected representatives of the people legislate for the whole country. Executive functions are administered through the different departments at the head of each of which, with the exception of the department of public instruction, is a Filipino secretary. These secretaries are appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Philippine Senate after each general election, upon recommendation of the leaders of the party in power, from the members of the party which commands a majority in the legislature. The executive departments function under the direction of the secretaries of departments subject to the power of supervision and control of the Governor General.

FINANCES

The Philippine government has been self-supporting since the establishment of civil government in the islands. The only expenses incurred by the American Government are those in connection with the United States Army stationed in the Philippines. The Philippine government has been and is in a sound financial condition. Its income is in excess of its expenditures for the present necessary activities of the island government.

The Philippines have a stable government currency based on the gold standard. The circulation is about 130,000,000.

The net bonded indebtedness of the government at the end of the year 1928 was P175,237,000, for which there were accumulated sinking funds amounting to over P43,000,000. This indebtedness is below the total debt limit fixed by Congress. Besides, this indebtedness. will be reduced during the current year by P12,000,000, already set aside by the legislature for the redemption of bonds which are redeemable at the option of the government during this year.

A further analysis of financial operations of the government will be found in the budget for 1930 submitted by the Governor General.

HOMOGENEITY AND CULTURE

Joined with the argument that there is some doubt as to the ability of the Filipinos to manage their own affairs is the frequently asserted statement that there exists a diversity of tribal interests, antagonisms, and prejudices which would militate against the maintenance of a stable government. The facts as given to your committee do not bear out the statement.

The late Chief Justice Taft in 1914, testifying before the Senate, said:

There is a racial solidarity among them (the Filipinos), undoubtedly. I can not tell the difference between an Ilocano and a Tagalog or a Visayan-to me all Filipinos are alike.

Former Governor General Forbes says:

Racially the Filipino is a Malay and throughout the islands the bulk of the population is sufficiently similar in type to indicate no great difference in origins. Testimony indicated that while there are many dialects in the Philippines, just as there are in all oriental countries, there are but three basic dialects, the Tagalog, the Ilocano, and the Visayan. There are 3 other important dialects, but the testimony was that it was a simple matter for the people to have a speaking knowledge of 2 or 3 of these dialects.

Moreover, as the result of the teaching of English in the islands. for more than 30 years, a great number of the Filipinos, regardless of their groups or their dialects, speak the English language, which is rapidly becoming a common language throughout the islands, especially among the younger generation. English has been the official language of the government for many years.

In one of the Latin American States of South America nearly 100 dialects are spoken; in Mexico there are estimated 59 dialects, and it is hardly necessary in order to negative the contention that language differences are a bar to independence to indicate the numberless dialects of China, which have persisted for thousands of years

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