CHANGE OF STATUS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22730, 16 November 1935, Page 14

CHANGE OF STATUS

THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS INDEPENDENCE ESTABLISHED WASHINGTON, November 14. (Received Nov. 15, at 7 p.m.) While the fact of Filipino Independence has been a matter of record for months considerable interest and comment have been aroused by its official promulgation to-day, when President Roosevelt signed a proclamation establishing a new Philippine commonwealth and extending the official blessing of the United States to the Filipino people Manuel Quezon will to-morrow become the first President, and a former American governor, Mr Frank Murphy, will become first High Commissioner. Despite thanksgiving in some quarters over severance from American sovereignty news from Tokio was received with something of a shock that the Japanese Patriotic Society had attempted to memorialise the American Embassy with a demand that the United States grant "complete freedom" to the Philippines. The embassy declined to accept _ the memorial, but it is impossible to fail to note that the President's proclamation concludes with the statement that the new Philippine Government is the successor to " all the rights and obligations " of the old Government. Newspapers throughout the country prominently display the news of the islands' change of status.