POSTPONED

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 82, 7 April 1938, Page 9

POSTPONED

ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE OF

THE PHILIPPINES

WASHINGTON, April 6.

President Roosevelt and President | Quezon have agreed to postpone i Philippine economic independence until 1960.-

A plan has been drawn up in the form of the gradual elimination of mutual 'trade preferences.

Echoes of the China war have been heard very loudly in the Philippines. Consequently, at a conference with the Press on November 17 /"President Quezon hinted that an alteration of the existing Independence Act to provide for continuance of the present "Dominion status would be welcome." The independence of the Philippines, characteristic of the United States retreat from overseas commitments outside the Americas, was established by the Independence Act as' from 1946. The islands attained their new status in October, 1935, when a Commonwealth was created, a semi-autono-mous Government which was to last for ten years, with a United .States Governor and United States military and naval protection. At the end of that time the American people were, to surrender all rights of possession, supervision, or control over the islands. Recently there have been repeated reports that the United States has' entered into a secret agreement with Britain which gives her the right to use the Singapore Base, a move which would make her task of defending the Philippines easier.