'A liege gathering of Americans and their friends met at, the Ameri can Club at dinner, dst Friday night, to honour Mr. Henry L. Stimson, Governor-General of the Philippines, who arrived in Shanghai on Friday last and who left on the following morning for his new post, Mr, C. H. French, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce, delivered an address in which gave n resume of the development of the Philippines since the Islands came into the possession of the United States. "He said, in part:
I say that other nations are concerned in the Philippines problem. For one thing some of them feel that America is in the position of an amateur chemist experimenting with high explosives." They are apprehensive that something unpleasant may happen—something which will adversely affect their own welfare. Others. are in sympathy! with the general plan, although perhaps justly critical of our methods. On the other hand, some few are inclined to question whether America is not in fact attempting to camouflage territorial expansion under the cloak of altruism, Undoubtedly our errors of omission and commission have been many, but if twenty years' service with the Philippines Government entitles me to speak with the authority of experience, here testify that Ameri-ea's errors have been honest errors. Nor have I ever had occasion to doubt her jood faith in the per formance of the task which she has undertaken.
And What is that task? Briefly tated, it is education, We have andortaken to assist the- Filipino People to obtain practical know.
ige of their rights and duties as citizens of the commonwealth which they desire to establish. We have also undertaken to afford them protection during their formative period, and to leave them in full charge of their own affairs at the lose of that period.
America's Motive Our motive in assisting the Pilipinos to establish a stable government, founded upon law, order, fand justice, is therefore not based upon altruism of sentimentalism in the sense in which those words are frequently employed, but upon what wwe conceive to be enlightened selfishness, As for method, it may interest you to know that when' we took aver from. Spain, the existing, political divisions. comprising pro: Vinces and municipalities. were left undisturbed, "The provincial govern. monts were placed in the hands of competent American administrators, While the township or, municipal governments were conducted entire. supervision of their provincial same proportion officials, Free public schools with some years will elapse before China qualified American teachers in charge were established in every The municipalities ide the political training grounds from which came the Filipino officials who were subsoquently to take-over the administra. tion of the provinces, or to become officials of the Central Government.
Question to be Decided There is no doubt that the constant and persistent 9 complete and.
Pendence has retarded the. agricultural and industrial development of the Philippines. If the Filipino masses are indeed competent to take over the cor affairs, America, should imi redeem the pledge which she has given them. If, however, the ma: ses are not yet so thoroughly fitted to insure success the welfare of the Filipino people demands that America should so declare. Con tinued silence or indecision on the part of America merely encourages that agitation which has already done so much to retard the economic development of the Is It is this question—impor! only to the Filipinos but also to us that Governor-General Stimson will be called upon to face when he arrives in the Philippines, The Chinese Welcome Mr. Quo Tai-chi, Commissioner of Foreign Affairs, then welcomed Mr. Stimson on behalf of Nationalist Ghina, In the course of an eloquent address he said that formerly Governors-General of the Philippines ame across the Pacific on army transports but now they could travel more conveniently and comfortably on the President ships which plied between the United States and the Orient. He was pleased to meet so distinguished a representative of a. nation whose. friendship for China had become proverbial. Long before the League Nations was established, the United States had accepted am: date fcr the Philippines—a mandate of democracy. The presence of the United States in the Pacific was a potent {nfluence in' spreading the [deal of democracy among the peoples of the Pacific. - The Philipines were a beacon light of the fact that democratic Government was possible for the people of the East as well as the people of the West, He asked Mr. Stimson to carry a message to the Philippines that China and the Philippines should stand side by side, striving for peace and good-will among the Peoples of the Pacific, in the establishment of sound, democratic G: ernments, Mr, Quo stated that he was certain the United States had never been actuated by ignoble methods inher dealings with the'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.