Washington, Dec. 30.
The problems raised by the retention of the. Philippines by the United States, and the general effect of the Philippines on the entire question of Occidental police in the Far East, are discussed i extremely able manner by Judge D. R. Williams, well known Ame: ican attorney of Shanghai, in "The United States and the Philippines, which has just been published by Doubleday, Page & Company.
Judge Williams' book has been praised in glowing language " by several reviews I have already seen but the review appearing in the "New York Times" book review! section on Sunday, December 28, apparently does the work the most justice.
"Judge Williams' book on the Philippines, while by no means an. exhaustive treatment of that com plex and baffling theme, is by far the most important and' authoratative contribution to the important national question involved in the "He was Secretary to the Taft Commission which went to the ippines in 1900, later served on the insular judiciary, and has lived in the Orient for more than 20 years, He writes, therefore, from ong and intimate association with the terrain and the problems arising out of it, He has succeeded in presenting briefly just the sort of information people in this country must have if they are to act intelligently in dealing with the Philippines and the Far Eastern situation in general. His book should be read by every American who has the prestige and best Interests of his country at heart and who would avoid snap judgments in matters regarding which only exact information can save ut from doing foolish things and sulfering irreparable losses. most Americans the question of the Philippines—when they have thought of it at all—has presented little more than a sentimental issue, their views being shaped and coloured by party declarations, by vague ideas on self determination' and by artful and frequently misleading independence propagand: Such information as filtered through was conflicting, and a general feeling was created that the interests of both Americans and Filipinos would be served by our withdrawal from the islands.
"Recent happenings, however, have focused public attention once more upon the Philippines and upon those vast territories to which they at neighbour. A realization ix slowly dawning that in this Pacific area, with its uncounted millions, are enveloped the great problems of, the future, political and commercial, and that world civilization possibly. will meet there its downfall or achieve its final triumph, "In the gradually shifting combinations which war and circumtance have wrought in this Far Eastern arena since 1898 the possession and ultimate control of the Philippines have become invest with an importance utterly. undreamed of when they passed into four keeping. Fronting for a thousand miles and more on the coast of Asin commanding the gateways leading to the Orient from Europe and India to the West, and from Oceania to the south—and screening. every approach to the Asiatic! mainland in all that stretch of ocean extending from Japan to the have in the titanic struggle now shaping for trade supremacy in the greatest potential markets of the world. This fact is uniformly recognized by those who have studied and ding noted the present and probably. future trend of events in the Far Bast."
Such is the background wherewith Judge Williams emphasizes the grave responsibility resting upon the American people in the premises. A surrender of the! Philippines by the United States! and a withdrawal of our power and. influence across the Pacific (now seriously debated), he argues, would inevitably precipitate a ferment of competing and conering interests throughout disastrous. alike to the Filipino' people, to the welfare of our nationals, and to the peace and progress of mankind.
Preliminary to a graphic account of internal Philippine. conditions, the author gives a comprehensive sketch of the Far Eastern situation fas a whole and of the bearing which 'America's entrance on the Asiatic stage in 1808 had upon the plans and ambitions of Japan and various 'European powers. Among the fruits of our appearance on the scene are included John Hay's announcement of the open door' policy, a halting of the partition of the Chin Empire then in progress, and the insistence upon equal rights for all in the trade and commerce of Eastern Asia—a stand which culminated logically in the Washington Conference.
The Philippines and their people are then described, and the nature of the trust assumed by the United States and the obligations thereby created clearly defined. The author tells who and what the Filipino Malay really is, both in his racial history and inherent characteristics; what Spain encountered—when taking over the islands in 1661, and the influence exercised and modifications worked upon the natives during her long rule; what sort of material in territory and people the United States inherited from Spain in 1809, and what, in his opinion, would inevitably have transpired had the islands not then come within our authority and protection; what our government has done on behalf and in the interests of the Filipino people during the years between and how they have reacted to the privileges and advantages accorded them.
"Phe question of Philippine me dependence is discussed at length, and the specific perils and ditieultios such a status would hold, for the Filipino people—both now and in the long future—are analyzed. The matter of independence pro and the interests and individuals concerned in putting it across' are reviewed, An estimate is made of the influence this propaganda has upon the American public and upon Congress. There is also w detailed analysis of the motives that inspired the attack upon Governor General Wood by Filipino politicians and of the consequences of this attack upon the masses of the Filipino people.
"The author ets forth the economic and other advantages accruing to the United States—and through the United States to our ilipino_ wards—from American control of the islands, and stres the imperative need of retaining the archipelago and as a trolled source of products. He then points out that voluntarily to surrender these a vantages—absolutely essential to our economic future, and to secure fand enjoy which our trade a versaries have fought and intrigued for almost a century-would be to betray the interests of the American people. Such an eventuality, he concludes, would also operate to the everlasting prejudice and hurt of the Filipino people, for whose happiness and property we stand responsible."
It is always interesting to read a book by an author one knows, but in the ease of Judge Williams? book on the Philippines it is a double pleasure because of the fund of information and clear logie he displays in unfolding the entire Philippines issue in compact style, It will unquestionably have extremely good distribution in the United' States and should prove very popular in the Philippines and among Americans i China, Miss Rosina Filippi gave a special performance at her studio in London last morth to introduce Miss Roos Quong, a Chinese actress, and to show what her professional pupils could do in artificial comedy. Miss Quen hax a good voice, u ready command of emotional intensity, and fancaks perfect English (writes in the "Observer"). But the hard little melodrama, put together, lone imagines, merely to exploit. these gifts, gave her performance the effect" of a tour de force, and lett tone with a sense of disappointment.
par; that took her racial characteristics into: greater account would have been more interesting,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.