A Friend in deed

Title

A Friend in deed

Creator

Guerrero, Moises T.

Language

English

Year

1950

Subject

Wood, Harlan.

Philippines – Foreign relations – United States.

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

November; 1950 THE MANILA GUARDIAN Page 11 A' Friend In Deed By Moises T. Guerrero Jt N Washington where decisions affecting relations between lf the Philippines and the United States are made, practices a ·lawyer who has been waging a silent fight for sblne 35,000 Filipinos. His interest in this particular work started about a year ago when the Philippine Ex-Political Prisoners' Association , sent a mission to the United States to work for the amendment ' of the War Claims Act of 1948 in which AJaerican civilian internees among others are enti1led. to behefits during their period of incarceration. Harlan Wood, a vet~ran of World War I, who is quick. to see justice where justice is due, accidentally met the mission and from that meeting emerged an assurance that he would help seek Congressional interest in a bill' giving justice tO former Filipino civilian intemeeS. The result of this joint effort is the Cavalcante Bill, introduced by Rep. Anthony Ca· valcante, ·of Pennsylvania, which seeks to ainend the war claims. act by giving equal benefits to former Filipino civilian internees as those accorded Americans under the act. Since then Mr. Wood has been in the thick of the fight, attending committee hearings, getting in touch with the War Claims Commission which has been named by President Truman to carry out the provisions of the act and .enlisting the NATIONAL support of American leaders, both in the executive and legislative bran«hes, in , which he counts with many friends. ' Only recently, he obtained an important ruling from the U.S. Immigration office IQ the effect that Filipinos, prior to July 4, 1946, were ·American nationals. HARLAN WOOD With this ruling which is expected to be adbpted by the State Department, Jess legislation may be required on behali of Filipino claimants under the war claims act. His interest however is not limited . to the claim of for.:mer Filipino political prisoners. Sometime ago when a wave of anti-Philippine propaganda hit the Amei-ican press, Mr. Wood wrote Gil Puyat, president of the PEPPA, stating that something should be done to counteract this propaganda. "Our (Continued on page 34) UNIVERSITY Member, Philippine Association of Coll~ & Universities COLLEGES and DEPARTMENTS * GRADUATE SCHOOL Master of Arts in Education * ENGINEERING Short Post-Graduate Dental Course *LAW *COMMERCE *DENTISTRY *PHARMACY *EDUCATION Architecture Chemical Civil Electrical Industrial *NORMAL * HIGH SCHOOL Mining Mechanical. Surveying Sanitary * LIBERAL ARTS Pre-Law Pre-Medicine Bachelor of Arts (Separate Classes for Boys & Girls) - • * ELEMENTARY * VOCATIONAL Diesel Mechanics Auto Mechanics Gas and Electrical Welding Radio Refrigeration Practical Electricity Machine Shop Technician For Info~tion1 write to The REGISTRAR NATIONAL UNIVERSITY . 385 Lipa, Sampaloc nm MANiLA GUARDIAN No'vember, ·1950 Editorials . (Continued from page 3) . ility is p'artieular]N true in the case Of ir.dustries that tum out export products which have to meet open competition in the foreign market. We must Dot only avoid direct taxes b9t also those imposed on other elements affecting production like transportation and capital goods. We must not be lured by the elements of collectibility, which may perhaps· be a good reason for imposing taxes on export products, for the reason that sure collection may be 'reduced to an insignificant figure when p\ooduction dE'clines. · There ·1s still an imposing .amount ·of uncollected. ~axes. Laws have been ground to reach the sU.re soul'(es of taxes but unfor. tunately the machinery for collection is not as efficient as it ·should be. We suggest therefore that this matter be given first priority,. in the implementation of a revised tax system as any accui:nulation of laws will only mean more evasion by some of our elements w~o: are specialized in tax evasion and who are enriching· themselves not only by the non-payment of faxes but spetj.~ly as a result of the very unfair, undue and we may say, criminal use of Otis money_ to .thoroughly compete with those that comply with the. letter and · spirit of our tax laws. The structure of our business today requires mass production in most cBses, spec!"ally when we Wish to lower prices by bringii:tg down the cost of production. This in Wrn necessitates polling of our individual resources. through the formation of corporations. But by increasing taxes on corporations, we will be adding a new obstacle to the already difficult task of attracting capital due to our .individualistic nature, as a result of which only those c:Orporatlons formed by aliens who are endowed with the· know-how to avoid taxes, using unethical if not illegal means, will be the only on~ that will thrlve. MOISES T. GUERRERO A Friend In ••• ,' (Continued from page 11) papers here," he wrote, "have recently been carrying very distressing articles in reference ·to the Philippines and I am fearful that then~ are many in the coWltry who ·a.re not familiar 'Yi.th the intricacies of the problems facing Your gove.rnment." While he bas not yet visited the Philippines, he bas a good grasp of local problems and conditions. He is in constant con:im.unication with the Philippine Ex-Political Prisoners' Association and ~eeps close contaci wieh the Philippine Emb8ssy in Washington. Among bis close friends also are \wO former American Ambassadors to the Philippines, Paul V. CcNutt and Emmet O'Neal, who. all belong. to the Post-Mortem: Club, an organization in Washington which cowits am~:iig its members many officials and leaders includlli~ Secretary o{ the Interior Oscar Chapman and fonner. D~fense SeCretary Louis Johnson., Bom of .humble parents in the small town of Spartan· burg, South Carolina, Mr. Wood early saw in life and need for social justice lo;r the poor. He supported him.self through high school and early college l>y n.uw.IDg a newspaper route, _acting as a plumber's assistant and operating a cleaning and pressing establishment. Shortly alter graduation from Wofford College in 1917, he volwiteered as a private jn the United· States Arm.Y, and after .several assignments to various_ c~:rD.ps, w~s detailed to the Motor Transport Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. where_ he became one of the aides to the Chief of the. Service, · General Charles B. Drah!. · Power In The •••• , (Continued from page 20) we might use them to commit suicide or to stiaJ;lgle the Kempeis with. Whatever the reason, the loss of the ro.saries mere-. -ly served to intensify our_ devotien to the garland offetjng t~ Mary. . • ·Escape, after two years! Out of the re8r: gate;· bag in hand, joy in elie heart, rosary in the trousers pocket. Up the. bills with the Hunterrs' Guerrollas and Marking's can.ip· to join the intelligence with the 6th Army observer, · . The liberation c"ame, .. and so did the defeat of Japan. l wonder if that Kempei Lieutenant who. called our hymn to t~ Sacred Heart song of weakness is still alive. Japan is not ~ so strong now. But the Sacred Heart and Mary are firmly entrenched in our altars and in .oUJ: hearts, thanks to that hymn and the Rosary: • . 1 • . It w~s while be was serving in the Army that he started· ~ to take up law at Georgetown University Law School. When l}e graduated from the university in 1921, the law school was celebratin gits golden anniversary and he was chosen the ju· bilee orator. He was admitted to the Bar of South Carolina on May 1, · 1921, to the Supreme Court of the United States on May 26, 1924, and to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on F~bruary 13, 1922. , , ~ Besides the Post-Mortem Club, Mr. Wood is a member~ of the Wofford College Alumni Association, Georgetown Aluni- · ni Association, Sigma Nu Phi Legal Fraternity, Forty and Eight; Army and Navy· Union, Veterans of Foreign Wars, United Spanish War Veterans. · He is a Past Master of Columbia Lodge No. 3; F.A., AM.;· . a 32n_d Degree Mason,. and a Shriner. He has been chainnan. of several conunittees of . the Columbia Bar Association, on.~. of which took charge of studying the reorganizati~n of Mwii~ cip81 Courts. He has been delegate to several national con.: .. l'entions of the t)emocratic Party and is. a member of the De: . mocratic Central Committee of the District of Columbia; For two and a half years," he was Chairinan of the Local Draft Board (World War II). He has two sons, Harlan Wood, .... Jr., who is a junior St Brown University and John Pa~l.Wood,,::;.. who goeS to school in Washington. · ' • A few days ago, he reminded tJie PEPPA of the coming opening' of the neW Congress, assurfug· Hi.e .organization· that he will continue his fight for them until justice is won. Dra. Tomasa F. Halili , Central Hotel .. Room No. 2ois.2os Boon: 9-12 A.M. - M P.M. El'HRAIM G. GOCHANGCO STRUCTURAL ENGINEER·CONTRACTOR 208·209 Central Hotel Bulldlq eorni!r: Rizal An., 6 .ucarrasa: lllaolla ~~~~~~~~~·-T_~_._~_n_·"~~~~~~-·~~-Jr-; ANTONIO GAW ATTORNEY·AT·LAW OJl'TICll: 'Jfi5 RIZAL AVENUB IND FLOQ.R. BM. 4

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