PHILIPPINES PROTEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18456, 20 July 1923, Page 9

PHILIPPINES PROTEST.

'CABINET RESIGNS.

GOVERNOR'S ENCROACHMENT

, APPEAL- TO ; PRESIDENT. : By Telegraph— Association— Copyright. A. and' N.Z. ■ ' • MANILA, July 18. , '■ The whole of Hie Filipino Cabinet and members of the Council of State have re-J signed, following differences over, the ques- j tion 'of the authority of the Governor, i General Leonard Wood, in matters ; relat ing to internal government. The resignations were accepted. The leaders of the Legislature have appealed to the President, Mr. Harding, declaring that they arc protesting merely against General Wood's' encroachments on rights which the Filipinos. long enjoyed. "We welcome the present crisis,"'.. they, add, "because it will call the attention of Congress to the need for'a definite status of the Government here." ; , A " political sensation in the American administration of the. Philippines followed the. reinstatement by General Leonard Wood of the chief of the. Secret Service, Mr. Conley, an American, who was charged with' bribery and was cleared by an investigation committee. The Mayor of Manila, Mr. Fernandez, and the Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Lawrel, both Filipinos, immediately resigned, and the Filipino secretaries of all uepartments decided to resign unless General Wood promised that there would be .interference in departmental affairs. This action , was taken' as the result of Mr. Conley's reinstatement. Mr. Conley, however, voluntarily resigned, thus clearing tne air for the time being. ".■ ■ '■■•.■:.'; -\ ' Filipino leaders maintain that General Wood is taking over the power of the Cabinet, and declare that if the United States ' Congress does riot speedily grant the Filipino petition for a constitutional convention and draft a constitution for a_ Philippines Republic, the local Legislature will ask President Harding to do so.

The United States Coneress approved an Act in 1916. the preamble of which declares:' "That it has alwavs 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 assumine office in .March, l c ?1. VreyAer;* 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 renort they recommended, anions? other thinps, "that the present status of the Philippine Islands continue until the people have had time to absorb and thoroughly master the power already in CTieir hands " and that under no circumstances should the United States 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 Philippines Commission under which the inland? had hi«en governed under the Act 6*' .Ttilv 1. J 1902. It substituted as the Upper House of the Legislature a Senate com-

posed of 24 members, and instead of the Assemblv a House of Representatives of

91 members elected triennially. The Governor-General; who remains at the head of the Government is appointed bv the President All the Cabinet Ministers, except the. Minister for Education, are Filipinos. Senators are elected for six years. ;, ' .',>.'. '•'.* "