Independence s out of favour with the Filipinos. That is the burden of an article which Mr. Roy [Howard has communicated to the chain of Scripps-Howard papers [throughout the United States, and which was published in these columns yesterday morning. The [writer of the article has made no astonishing revelation; throughout the long drawn out agitation for! [independence there was always a school of thought which believed that the Filipinos really did. not want complete severance from the! United States, and that much of the agitation was'dictated by motives of self-interest rather than from a Jdeep seated demand that the Filipinos as a nation should be allowed complete freedom of self-expression. That the agitation was well conducted, that the word in-Jdependence was driven deeply into the Filipino mentality 1s an un-Jdoubted fact, but it was more of a ]word than an expression of a desir-Jable reality. The masses led by some very clever men know only, what they wanted, but nothing of the price which they would have to pay for its attainment, and, now that they are well on the way to lobta: ning a tulsiment of their wishes, there is gradually being borne in upon them the fact that independ-Jence means ultimate severance from the United States and the loss of privileges which would naturally fetlow the establishment of an allen independence, alien in the sense that existing' rights and privileges! granted to the Filipino as a colonial lot the United States would disappear as soon as that status was extinguished. What the Filipino. is beginning to understand now is the fact that while he is. progressing! {towards relief from what he feels to be the American yoke, the sum he is going to pay for his liberty is Inow to be visualized in terms of insecurity.
There has been no new factor to assist in bringing about the change! lof mind. The dangers which are now being realized have always! been in existence, the possibility of Japanese menace has been. just jas real in the past as it is said to new and the very real dis advantages of independence have been as apparent as they, fare st this moment. The fact of the matter is that the Philippines Jeannet stand alone in this Pecife maelstrom of conflicting interests. They will have to lean upon one frreat Power or another. Naturally hey would prefer to return to the devil of whom they know, than to another of whom they know noth-jing. Consequently "there must come with the realization of the insecurity which Is a concomitant Jot independence a desire to patch lup a very faulty fabric, and Mr. [Howard is probably quite right in prophesying that within the next ten years efforts will be made to make the "present commonwealth of the Philippines permanent within the colonial structure of the United State. A campaign to impress upon the American public' the potential wealth of the islands, and the necessity for the extension of free trade, which would not. possible in view of ultimate inldeperdence, may possibly succeed, but the chances are at present def-Initely against it, while the likelihood of the United States ever: granting the commonwealth riatehood within the Union is so remote as to present no issue for considera~ tion, An influential section of Ameri can thought regards the possession of the Philippines as a very serious embarrassment. Tt would like to be rid of this potential cause of trouble in the future and it is more than a little dificult to believe that the United States would retrace the steps it has already taken and reassume a commitment which must at all times be the cause of much uneasiness.
Tt is inconceivable that Great Britain would assent to any roanest from the Filipinos to grant them territorial status under the British flag. The Philippines have nothing to offer which cannot be obtained from existing British colonies, and \there would be nothing available to) compensate Great, Britain for the responsibilities which she would have to adopt were any such re~ quest granted. On that point it is Dossible to take issue with Mr.
Howard. The time has passed when Britain would welcome so em= barrassing an addition to her solenial possessions. That such a development would strengthen the! British position in the Far East seems likely, but the commitments necessary to secure the fullest, benefit of such strength might very well be more than Great Britain }woutd contemplate with any degree Jot equanimity. That the Filipino does not wish to pass under Jopanjose domination is perfectly comprehensible, but that possibility presents the gravest danger which an independent Philippines would have to face some ten years hence, or, perhaps, even sooner. In." the circumstances it is natural that they should look to the United States, {though whether they will obtain the relief of which they are now feeling }the need can at the moment be only a matter of speculation without much to encourage any great degree of hope,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.