Show WILL UNCLE SAM SAID ERR IN GIVING OUR tITTLE BROWN BROTHERS FREEDOM NO SAYS THEIR SPOKESMAN President Wilson in his speech at Topeka Kan said We are trustees for the Filipinos and just as soon as we we can feel that they can take over their affairs without our further protection and that we may withdraw our forces the flag of the United States will come down That flag stands for honor not advantage THE TELEGRAM asked Manuel Quezon Queron resident co commissioner from the Philippines for his views views on Filipino independence The interview with Quezon follows By FREDERICK By FREDERICK M. M KIRBY Special to The Telegram M WASHINGTON D. D C. C Feb 12 lf 12 If the Filipino people are n not t ready for Se Self seif government NOW th they y nev never r will be ready So d declares ct res Manuel L L. L Que Quezon on resident commissioner from the F A d t Philippine islands who with Manuel Man Man- Mani i uel Earnshaw sh w represents the islands islands islands I ands on the floor of tIe the house of f fr r representatives Seven Seventeen een years ears ago said Quezon to me when the United States took control there thereabout were about 2000 schools T Today oday there I are about The school schoolteachers schoolteachers teachers now number approximately approximately of whom more a. a than are native Filipinos r e teaching in English When Wt the he United States took over the islands I do not believe eve there were more than people speaking English in the Philippines Philippines Philippines Philip Philip- pines today there are over over 2 a children who have r re received r an English education and 1 several hundred thousand speak J English g well MANUEL y The file commerce of our islands U ZON has increased to about annually y while seventeen years ago it was not one t tenth one nth of that What percentage of the Filipino people are arc literate I asked Quezon The cens census s taken in 1903 shows that the percentage of the population over 10 years of ot age who could read and and write IN SOME LANGUAGE LANGUAGE LANGUAGE LAN LAN- GUAGE was about 45 46 per cent while today I have no doubt It Is over 60 per percent cent nt As to the part our people take in government theoretically there are about of ot our people of ot voting age and out of at this number only I vote but you must remember that only those are allowed to vote who can lead read and write in English or I Spanish or those who own o property valued at or those who pay taxes I Ito to the government of ot 15 a year My estimate is that if It all aU the people who wh can read and write In any language language language lan lan- guage were allowed to ote vote there would be at least voters oters at this moment At present all aU our municipalities are governed by Filipinos elected by the people All AU our provincial governments governments governments govern govern- ments are administered by Filipinos elected by the people The Philippine national assembly is elected by the people and the Philippine commission Is now v composed of ot five Filipinos and four Americans so that you see the government of at the Philippines is now practically In the hands of ot the Filipino people And my opinion is that my I people cople would govern gO the Islands if It given riven Iven their I independence with the same wisdom that they are governing them now As to the Japanese question that thatIs I Is a a. very wide one There here are those those- who vho think that the day after independence Independence independence Inde inde- was granted the Japanese would step in and annex the islands and there are those who believe Japan has no ambition to control the Philippines Philippines Philippines Philip Philip- pines because her line lin of ot expansion has been northward rather than southward south south- ward Japan lies in the temperate zone and it does not seem that the Japanese people like to live In a very lot hot climate life Ufe the Philippines so and Japan would not want the P Philippines Personally I do not think Japan would Interfere with the Philippines at ataU atall atall all aU but who can say what any nation may mayor or may not do do Germany says she is fighting to protect her life France says the same England the same all an the nations at war are fighting fighting fighting fight fight- ing for national existence It does not seem to depend on the size or strength of ot a country whether that country shall be safe from possible attack Besides It if the so called Japanese menace Is to keep the Philippines from self seU government now then they never can have self government go If It the standard that is required of the Filipinos to to set up an independent government is their capacity to establish establish lish and maintain a government that will maintain order enforce laws and safeguard rights and lives we are aie ready for self Belt government now If H w we cannot do it I do not think now no w wR willbe will willbe be able to do It In five or ten years |