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Show FILIPINOS ASK INDEPENDENCE Declares Islands Now Have Stable Government and That It Can Be Maintained. DELEGATES ARRIVE, Document Setting Forth Facts Is Presented to Secretary Baker. WASHINGTON. April 4 Members of the special mission of the Philippine Philip-pine legislature here seeking immediate immedi-ate independence for the Islands wre told today by Secretary Baker that he spoke President Wilson's mind I when he Said he believed the time' had come to grant the complete inde-! pendence desired by the Filipino peo- I pie. The war secretary also said he believed be-lieved the mission would be able to carry home word that the American! people loved liberty too dearly to deny it to others. He read a letter left by President Wilson when he went to Europe, expressing ex-pressing the hope that the mission would result "in bringing about the desirable ends set forth in tbe Joint' resolution of the legislature." Francis Burton Harrison, governor-general governor-general of the Philippines, followed Mr. Baker with the statement that his experience in the islands had convinced convinc-ed him that the obstacles to independence indepen-dence that appeared to exist a few years ago had been cleared away WASHINGTON, April -1 Declaring j I there now is a stable government ini I the Philippines supported by the people peo-ple themselves, and that it can be maintained if independence is granted the islands and urging that now is the opportune time for presenting claims j because of the principles for which the I United States entered the war. Man-luel Man-luel L Quezon, chairman of the Philip-pine Philip-pine commission, today presented to Secretary Baker the question of inde-j 1 pendence of the Filipino people Mr. Baker, who is in charge of Philippine affairs, this morning lor-imally lor-imally received the entire mission, representing rep-resenting all elements of Philippine life. Chairman Quezon, president of tho Philippine senate and former res-ide.ui res-ide.ui .' "aiif a"- c m 1i f Islands in Wash) ne ion. acted as spokesman. After announcing that the mission .brought to the United States a mes-I mes-I sage of good will, gratitude and re-I re-I spect from all the inhabitants of the ! islands, Mr. Quezon stated he had been sent by his people formally to submit to this government the urgent question ques-tion of their independence "in the confident hope it shall merit a just, righteous and final settlement." "Independence is the great national ideal of the Filipinos." Mr. Quezon asserted., "and we believe this is the proper time to present the question because of the declared and uniform policy of America to recognize our independence as soon as a stable government gov-ernment has been established. There I now is a stable government and the fulfillment of this solemn promise you, owe to yourselves, to us and to hu-I hu-I inanity at large." Pay Tribute to U. S. The speaker paid a tribute to he United States for the manner in which I the affairs of the islands had been i administered during the period of American occupation, which, through j tbe co-operation of American and 'Filipinos, ho said, had "brought pros-, pros-, perity and progress unprecedented." "You have truly treated us as no nation ever before has treated anoth- er under its sway," he declared, "and yet you and none better than you will understand why, even under such 'conditions, our people still crave independence in-dependence that they too may be sovereign sov-ereign masters of their own destinies." destin-ies." Mr. Baker was given a document sent by the Philippine legislature in which was set forth the facts on which the Filipinos based their appeal for Independent national existence. 1 1 'on tinned on page .", ) uu FILIPINOS ASK INDEPENDENCE The mission, including fort prominent prom-inent Filipinos and headed bv Manuel Quezon, president of the senate, upon being received in Secretary Baker's office of-fice today, presented a formal memorial memo-rial asking independence and pointing particularly to the record of the Philippines Phil-ippines in the great war. President Wilson's Letter. In replying, the secretary read President Presi-dent Wilson's letter, addressed to him under date of March . It was as follows: "Will you express to the gentlemen of the commission representing the Philippine legislature my regret that I shall be unable to see them personally person-ally on their arrival in Washington, as well as my hope that their mission mis-sion will be a source of satisfaction to them and that It will result in bringing about the desirable ends set forth in the joint resolution of the legislature leg-islature approving the sending of the commission to the I'nited States. "I have been deeply gratified with the constant support and encouragement encourage-ment received from the Filipino people and from the Philippine legislature In the trying period through which we are passing. The people of the United ijj States have, with reason, taken thu deepest pride in the loyalty and support sup-port of the Filipino people j "Though unable to meet the commis- I sion, the Filipino people shall not be absent from my thoughts Not the least important labor of the confer- ence which now requires my attention i is that ot making the pathway of the j weaker people of the world less per-ilous per-ilous a labor which should be and doubtless is, of deep and abiding in- j terest to the Filipino people, "I am sorry that I cannot look intc I the faces of the gentlemen of this mis- Ion ol the Philippine islands, and tell t them all that I have in mind and heart as 1 ihink of the patient labor i with the end almost in sight, under-taken under-taken by the American and Filipino people for their permanent benefit I I know, however, that your sentiments are mine in this regard and that you wiil translate truly to them my own feelings." Baker Recounts Philippine History. Secretary Baker recounted the his-tory his-tory of the Philippine government in I the relations of the islands and th American government from the time to the establishment of the military government to the present. The island people are now virtually independent, he said, the only link being the Amer I ican governor-general and most bind- I ing of ties, that of affection. Mr. Baker urged the mission to visit many American cities before it went back. Not was he only anxious to see what Americans were doing and thinking but he wanted the American I people to sec and know the manner of j I men the island gftvernmnt selected for such a great mission The wold was looking forward, Mr. ' Baker continued, to a time when the relations between the people should be bottomed on justice and peace but whatever might come as to the world at large, the relations between the people of the Philippines and the Am-erican Am-erican people were so founded and there could never be anything but I peace and understanding between Governor Harrison said the formal act granting independence was one that congress must lake and that the administration would present the mat-ter mat-ter to congress at the appropriate time He added he could assure the mission that the objection that seemed 'M to prevail in the United States a few years ago had greatly diminished, il it had not virtually vanished. . The mission called at the White House after their conference with Secretary Baker and paid its respects to Secretary Tumulty. |
