Washington, Jan. 25.
on Far Eastern affairs and other international problems as a GneESIONAL attention ani d debate will probably be centred
result of the report of the Joint Committee on Philippines Affairi submitted to Congress by the President yesterday Capitol Hill observers believed today.
Although the Committee's report was confined to economic relations between the United States and the Philippines after Philippine independence becomes effective in 1946, current indications are that Congress may be unable to confine itself to the narrow economic range ofthe report as appeared possible when the Committee's study was begun in April, 1937.
The purpose of the report was to recommend changes in the current Tydings-MeDufüe Independence Act to permit gradual readjustment of Philippine financial and economic affairs after 1946. Reasons for expect ing consideration of the report to result in an investigation of broad Far Eastern and world problems are these:
1. The amazing ascendency of Japanese hegemony in the Far East which has raised doubts here whether the original plan to guarantee the neutrality of an independent Philippines will prove practicable.
2. The Philippi economic programme as now drafted is in agreement With United States policy of "most favoured nations" treatment in preparation for the foreign nation status of the Philippines after 1946.
3. The economic programme submitted to Congress by the Committee, such fortification of Guam would be to defend Manila.
5. The Philippines have now become an important nerve centre in world airline communication so that the trans-Pacific air situation, according to some authorities, cannot long escape Congressional attention, either from a defensive point of view or for the national Commercial value of lines radiating to and from Manila.
Observers here believe there will be close connections between the Spanish American Republics and the Philippines after the islands become an independent Goverment. This relationship is expected to develop from common historical and cultural heritage and might induce the Philippines to join the Pan-American Union, thereby remaining closely associated with the United States and possibly coming under the joint protection of all powers of the Western Hemisphere.
Philippines after 1946. This matter has become of extraordinary political interest to Britain, France and the Netherlands because of their Immense territorial holdings in the Far Eastern area and the fact that any complete withdrawal by the United States would raise unprecedented problems for other. world powers.
4. The Philippines present Congress an Immense problem, regardless of the Joint Committee's report because of present proposals to fortify Guam Island in the midst of the Japanese mandated islands. One of the major reasons for
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.