| Show TAFT DEFINES UNITED STATES POLICY POUGY Washington Match IC In order to allay any 1111 relative to t the policy of ot the administration with respect to the of ot the Philippines Secy Seey Taft today made public tho text of a 11 letter which he ho Ioto to John N of ot New York bearing directly un on the The secretary very ery plainly that till tho policy of ot the administration Is 11 the definite retention of ot Ule Philippines for tor forthe the purpose ot or developing the ty and the tho self elt governing capacity of the tho Philippine people What Hhall be done dOllo when the tho have leached 1 condition when they can safely be trusted with their own government the tho secretary bellows to be ba R question which will have to 11 bo ho settled by another Generation than the tho pros ent The fhe letter fellows March 16 lly Dear DellI HII I your our letter ettel of ot March 7 In lu which you ou say lIay that a IL common reported of or my lilY remarks before the house hOU i committee on ways and means Is that It III H the tho purpose of or tho administration to give Independence to tho Filipinos within the Hext tour four years ond that this produces great timidity about in investments Inc vestments c In the Philippines greying In Bruit part out of It the tha of or as to what the tho of ot Islands 1 IH to be he In reply I bog beg to say that I cannot of It my Illy except by relating to you what I actually think I think In II to tu the tho matter The Tho polity of or ortho the tho administration IK Is tho Indefinite III re Ie retention of HIR Philippine Islands for forthe forthe the purpose of lit developing the tho prosper prosperity ity and self Relt governing capacity pac It of the Filipino people This policy rests on tho conviction Unit the tho people me le not now capable of ot self government and nn Will not lIot bo for tor a long lon period of If time not for Cor a n iteration and III probably not for 01 a II ng t time titan that until they thoy 1110 ready for tor self liCit government It would bo ba a Moia 1011 t to trust for tor the United to abandon the tho The iio ai 11 aito to tn the tho future however Is one ona which U Iii I wholly of or conjecture The rhe Important filet fact Is lf policy polle which l III of ot Indefinite retention of ot tho tha What lip done In tho future when tho people havo reached n r condition whelo they cnn can be safety trusted with their own government In III n 1 question Ilu Which doubtless will have to be ho bottled by another generation than the tho present both bolh of or the American litH peo plo to M hose wisdom and generosity wo 10 may ilia trual the tho solution of or tha tho problem the Filipino when whon nt fit for tor spIt self government demand Independence It I be lio in lit favor of giving It to tn them th III I no doubt that people of the next generation would be of or the opinion I think It 11 much more likely however hOeler that after the tha Filipino l people hn been associated with the American people for n I generation or 01 more nud have hlo tasted the pros they the will find behind tho national tariff wall thes the will prefer a relation to America that ot lit and Au Australia to 1 to ono of ot Independent |
