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Show Republicans Reach Decision De-cision to Postpone Indefinitely In-definitely Question of Islands Independence. Porto Ricaris Satisfied by Promise to Relieve Them of Conditions Considered Irksome. By ARTHUR SEARS HENING. (Chicago Tribune Special Service.) WASHINGTON, D. C, July 20. The Republican leaders in congress, it became be-came known today, have reached a decision de-cision to postpone indefinitely the question ques-tion of granting independence to the Philippines. - The Porto Ricans, -who also have been ' clamoring for independence, have been satisfied for the time being by promises prom-ises of congressional action to relieve them from conditions they find irksome. irk-some. Tho decision of the Republican leaders lead-ers against consideration of the Fili- 1 pinos' plea for independence followed the recent hearing accorded the Philippine Philip-pine commission at a joint session of the house and senate committees on insular in-sular affairs. It transpired that few if any of the Republican or Democratic members of those committees had been sufficiently impressed by the representations represen-tations of the delegates to take a stand in favor of freeing the islands at this i time. COMMITTEE MAY VISIT THE ISLANDS. The general conclusion was that no step in this direction should be taken until more convincing proof has been ; offered of the ability of the Filipinos ! to stand alone and to continue to maintain main-tain the institutions of government and education established by the United States, which have wrought such beneficent ben-eficent changes in the islands in twenty (Continued on Page 3, Column 4.) the independence of all of the nations of the world. "Mow, if, under conditions as they exist, it will be best and safest that you should be independent, certainly no American can have nny objections to offer; but if the people of the United States shall not be able to see their way clear now to believe that it will be to your best interests or for your safety safe-ty that independence shall be considered consid-ered now as a practical quest ion, 1 hope that no member of the commission-and I hope that no citizen of the ismnds, will believe that has resulted from any feeling of stubbornness or resistance to what you ask for, but is only a consideration con-sideration of the great question as to whether or not it is best for the people of the islnnds. ' ' The only pending bill providing for the liberation of the Philippines was introduced by Representative Mason of Illinois. It was referred to the committee commit-tee on insular nf fairs, where it is peacefully peace-fully slumbering. PHILIPPINE PROBLEM SHELVED FOB TIE (Continued from Page One.) years. Moreover it was deemed inadvisable inad-visable to take a step of such great moment mo-ment to these wards of the American republic until the equilibrium of world conditions is restored. It is now taken for granted that the question of liberating the Filipinos will not be considered seriously until the congressionaf committee shall have visited vis-ited the islands and made an exhaustive investigation and report to congress. The Filipino delegation was advised of this status of the matter before leaving leav-ing Washington and made no protest. In fact, it transpires that the delegation delega-tion did not expect to obtain favorable action at this' time. The dispatch of the commission by the Philippine legislature legis-lature was forced by the minority party in the islands, "which accused the majority major-ity party of lack of aggressiveness in seeking independence. The message "which the delegation is taking back to the Philippines is contained con-tained in the following remarks by Congressman Con-gressman Towner of Iowa, chairman of ; the house committee, at the close of the joint hearing: "What will be the attitude of congress con-gress with regard to this particular question that you are submitting? I do not know; but I think that I can say to you that it will receive from them sympathetic consideration. There has been, as so many of your spokesmen have said there has been in the past no political division regarding the duty of the American people toward the people peo-ple of the Philippine islands. ATTITUDE OF U. S. TOWARD PHILIPPINES. "From the very inception of our relations re-lations with them, President MeKin-ley MeKin-ley 's statement that your progress, your development, your , well-being, your happiness, would be the sole thought and desire in the minds of the American Ameri-can people, I think has never changed. As it was then, so it is now. If Philippine Philip-pine independence should be granted it will be because we believe that it is the best thing for the islands; if it should be deferred, it is because wc believe that it is best that it should be so. I can very easily understand how now, when the idea of self-determination has been in the minds of the people of all of the small nations of the world, and in the minds of those rations which are, for the first time, demanding recognition recogni-tion as such, I can very well understand how you should at this time again give prominence to the idea of nationality, and desire that immediate action should be taken with regard to your own independence; inde-pendence; but I presume I may be jus- ! tificd in suggesting that wrhile that is i true, the whole world is in a condition of fluctuation and change as never existed ex-isted before in all its history. We are in a condition in which practically everything ev-erything regarding international relationship rela-tionship is unsettled. No one can tell what the morrow will bring forth. MATTER ONE FOR FUTURE TO DECIDE. "We may have a league of nations, and we may not have it. We m;iv have peace, and wc m;ty not have it. We may be able to establish these new na-tioiis, na-tioiis, and we may not be able to establish es-tablish them. It may be more difficult t lian ever to main tain pence in the world. Of course, we i!eirc to do I everything that wo p:s.- " " can to p-cure p-cure thp permanent p'..ue ..r' tlie world, j and with that, on account of. as a nee j etsary incident, comes ih j peace and j |