FILIPINO INDEPENDENCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18865, 16 November 1935, Page 5

FILIPINO INDEPENDENCE

PROCLAMATION SIGNED OFFICIAL BLESSING WASHINGTON, Nov. 14.' While the fact of Filipino independ ence has been a matter of record for months, considerable interest and comment was aroused by its official promulgation to-day, when Mr Roosevelt signed a proclamation establishing the naw Philippine commonwealth and extending the official blessing of the United States to the Filipino people. Signor Quazon to-morrow becames the first President, and the former American Governor, Mr Frank Murphy, becomes the 'first High Commissioner. Despite thanksgiving in some quarters over severance from American sovereignty, something of a shock was caused by news from Tokio that a Japanese Patriotic Society had attempted to present a memorial to 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 news of the islands i change of 'status.