FILIPINO DISSENT

Northern Advocate, 25 July 1923, Page 5

FILIPINO DISSENT

REACHES CRITICAL STAGE.* 7

GOVERNOR'S RECALL RE-

QUESTED.

APPEALS TO PRESIDENT,

(Received 10.30 a.m.)

MANILA, July 24

The ; political situation became grave when ; both . Houses, of the Legislature unanimously adopted re,solution approving the resignation «f the Filipino members of the Cabinet , and- asking President Harding to recall the Gov-ernor-General, Mr Leonard Wood, who thus far has taken no action to fill the vacated Cabinet positions;

Intimations from Washington are that President Harding fully approves Governor-General Wood's position in the present crisis.—A. and N.Z.

The origination of the Filipino trouble is explained in the following cable communication from Manila on July 17 — "A political sensation in American administration cf the Philippines has been aroused by Governor Wood's reinstatement of the Chief of Secret Service, Mr Conley, an American, who was chaged with bribery, and was cleared by the Investigation Committee. The Mayor of Manila, Senhor Fernandez, and the Secretary for the Interior, Senhor Lawrell, who are Filipinos, immediately resigned, and the Filipino secretaries of all departments voted to resign unless Governor Wood promised that there would be no interference in departmental affairs. This action was taken as a result of Mr Conley's reinstatement. Mr Conley, however, voluntarily resigned, thus clearing the air. The Filipino leaders maintain that Governor Wood is taking over the power of the Cabinet, and declare that if the United States Congress does not speedily grant the Filipino petition for a convention to draft a Constitution for a Filipino Republic the local Legislature will asked President Harding to do so."

On the following day another message stated: —"The whole Filipino Cabinet and members of the Council of State have resigned, following upon the differences over the question of the authority of the GovernorGeneral in matters relating to internal government. The resignations have been accepted."

The constitutional position is that in 1916 the United States Congress approved an Act, the preamble of which declared "That it has always been the purpose of the people of the United States to withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands and to recognise their independence as soon as stable government can be established therein." On assuming office in March, 1921, President Harding sent General Leonard Wood and Mr W. Campbell Forbes, Governor from 1909 to 1913, to the Philippines to make a complete survey of the conditions. In their report they recommended, among other things, "that the present status of the Philippine Island continue until the people have had time to absorb and thoroughly master the power already in their hands," and that under no circumstances should the American Government permit to be established in the islands a situation which would leave the United States in a position of responsibility without authority. The Act of 1916 abolished the Philippine Commission under which the islands had been governed under the Act of July 1, 1902. It submitted as the Upper House of the Legislature a Senate composed of 24 members, and instead of the Assembly a House of Representatives of 91 members elected triennially. The Governor-General, who remains at the head of the Government, is appointed by the President. All the Cabinet heads, except Education, are Filipinos. Senators are elected for . six years.