Show I 1 LETTER FROM BURNS L FINLINSON st fx en ell route to singapore fob feb 3 1929 mr air vance wilson editor of the progress fillmore utah dear mr air wilson and friends in n millard since writing from canton I 1 have had a most enjoyable visit in Alan manila fla I 1 can tell you it la is a real pleasure to come from china with its dirt and filth into a very modern city at least as tar far as some ot of the laws ot of sanitation and health are concerned after looking the city over and thinking what it would bo be like it if no more effort was taken as in most ot of the oriental cities to make it ita a beautiful and healthy place to live in I 1 was surely proud of 0 uncle sam no american need feel ashamed of 0 what the united states has done in helping make the philippines what they are today As governor general stimpson told us the work and efforts of the united states in tile the philippines Is an example of unselfish service out in this part of the world where britian Is the big it the remark is often made mada that the U S know much about how to handle dependencies but after seeing and talking with many nat native ave people and reflecting upon sonic some of the british baltish strong holds such as hong kong no can tell me thai that uncle sam la is a failure at such work As the president hayes sailed into manila day bay early in tho the morning I 1 could not help being beine reminded 0 of somo some thirty aaers ago when dewey sailed into this same bay and proceeded to let the spanish know what the united states planed to do in the orient later during the day I 1 had a very interesting visit in the old walled city of 0 manila the city inside Is ot of the old spanish type narrow streets and some tine fine old catholic churches the wall goes completely around tile the old city the modern manila being on the out side ot of tile the wall several openings have been made in the wall but some ot of the old arched gateways still remain visited tile the tort fort which was one of the last strong holds of the spanish now it Is occupied by american sa soldiers the new manila Is very modern the first thing I 1 noticed was of couppe tile the pier it is 1500 feet long trie frie proof and in the ware house every thing la Is moved with huge electric cranes americans and philip claim it to be the finest in the world As yet I 1 have not seen its equal the streets are wide most alost of them well paved tile the educational systems of 0 the philippines Is quite well known it has been a big factor in the devel development 0 D of the islands they are now spending nearly dearly 30 per cent ol of their revenues on education more than we in the states leel feel we can do they have sono some fine school buildings built of course to over come as much heat as possible I 1 happened to pass one ot of the high schools just at lunch hour have never seen a liner finer looking group ot of young people every one dressed in white and all the clothes were spotlessly clean teachers who are acquainted with west billiard mud will wonder how such Is possible one afternoon a group of us drove out into the country saw tile country people at work some getting their rice alc ready lor for market some plowing their rice fields with lazy water buffaloes while others othera were planting sugar cane in passing through some ot of the villages I 1 was load lead to believe that the islands will soon bo be over populated rather reminded of utah from what I 1 have said of 0 the philippines I 1 hope that the impression Is not given that the americans have done it all in fix bringing the philippines to where they are now surely tile the people have carried on their part very well what has been a clif eved in the islands is the result 0 of cooperation coop oration the people have many lovable qualities they are by nature gentle kind and courteous their hospitality is justly famous in thu the the manners manner of 0 the orient and spain have been finely blended we were upon our arrival to manila taken to the senate building and there welcomed by one ot of the senators ot of course no other spot in the wide world was so suited whore where we could be told about the need for foi independence indeed the stage was set in ithe the senate chamber and tor for a speaker a senator lie ile told us why they clamored tor for independence As I 1 sum artze them they aro are these 1 it has been promised them 2 they believe in tile promise made them 3 they have been schooled in the traditions ol of a liberty loving people 4 they have reached the point now that they can handle their own affairs you can judge as to the merits ot of ills his argument at the university ot of the philippines I 1 talked with a number of 0 law students they were all sure that tile time had come for their independence pen dence men bien at the government offices felt elt the same way at times it seemed that they failed ailed to appreciate pre preci clate ate what had been done for them was wag reminded of what kipling wrote back in 1899 when wo we were taking the islands over telling us of the white mans burden and the troubles and tasks that wo we would have to face to fuote kipling in part take up the white mans mans burden and reap his old reward the blame of 0 those ye better the hate of those choso ye guard after listening to senator oslas osias we nvere aero rushed over to the office of cover governor n or general stimpson tor for fear that we would become ardent supporters of 0 philippine I 1 independence there governor stimpson and other americans gave us ua the idea that the philippines still needed our help at least after hearing both sides ono Is given some thing to think about respectfully burns L finlinson |