PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1934, Page 12

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

CLAIMS TO INDEPENDENCE.

LECTURE GY MR. G. LAWN.

The independence movement in the Philippine Islands, now appears to have achieiied its object with the assurance of the United States that American sovereignty will be removed after a “trial period” of 10 years, subject to the maintenance in the islands of certain strategic military and naval posts, was traced by Mr. George Lawn, lecturer m economics at Canterbury College, in his address to the International Relations Class at the Workers’ Educational Association. Mr. Lawn said that the Philippine Islands provided an interesting example of the effects of migratory movements of population, bringing about mixtures of nations and cultures; the effects of . the imperialistic developments of the nineteenth century, the reactions of natives to domination by European nations, and the interesting native problems that must arise in such circumstances. The Sands contained an area of 114,000 square miles, and the population was about 13,000,000. Such were the undeveloped resources of these fertile islands, however, that it had been estimated that they could support a population of 80,000,000. The birth rate was high, but the infantile mortality was enormous. That there was a constant emigration from the islands to other parts of the Pacific was an indication that the standard of living was not very high. EARLY MIGRATION. Before the coming of the Spanish, about 300 years ago, said Mr. Lawn, the islands had already been subject to several distinct waves of migration from Eastern Asia. The Spaniards did not find a savage and primitive race, but a number of peoples with considerable culture. There was, however, no national organisation, and the Spai—sh did something to unify the inhabitants of the islands. To some extent, also, the Spanish provided a common language. Toward the end of the nineteenth century there had already been some development of an independence movement, which manifested itself in active opposition to Spain in 1872. Spanish patriots helped the United States to wrest control of the islands from Spain. They were bitterly disappointed when the United States annexed the islands, and'this was followed, by three years of guerilla warfare against the United States troops. “Since then the independence movement has grown in strength and importance until it seems almost to have become a national passion,” said Mr. Lawn, who added that after the initial warfare the movement settled down to an agitation along peaceful lines, which appeared now to have achieved its purpose Everywhere in the islands old and new cultures jostled each other. The Americans had brought many advantages and probably some disadvantages. The United States provided, amongst other things, a most important preferential market for the products of the Philippine Islands.

THE INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT.

There was a sharp line of demarcation between the Christian Philippines and the Mahommedans. There were about 11,000,000 of the former and only about 1,000,000 or 2,000,000 of the latter. The Mahommedans or Moros were a fierce and intractible race which had for . long time resisted the unifying influences of the Spanish and Americans. They had also prevented a great deal of emigration to the south that otherwise would have occurred. Now, however, the penetration of Chinese traders and the advance of roads were bringing about a more peaceful attitude on the part of the inhabitants, and large are'as of land were becoming available for settlement. Although the Philippines enjoyed a great measure of self-government, many representations had been made to the United States for freedom from American control. The case for independence as put forward by one of the leaders of the movement, consisted in the claim that no subject race could make any considerable- contribution to human culture, the inherent love of liberty in all men, and the claim that it was not necessary for a nation to be able to repel invasion to be independent. The movement was supported in the United States by interests which would benefit from the removal of the Philippine trade preference, and certain labour organisations that deprecated the immigration of Philippines who tended to lower the standard of living. Those who opposed the independence movement did so chiefly on the grounds that American influence in the Philippines provided a bulwark against aggressive Japanese imperialism, and that the United States owed a duty to the islands to protect and assist them until they were capable completely of looking after themselves.