Fate gives Britain a challenge of monarchs

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: Fate gives Britain a challenge of monarchs
Creator: W. R.
Language: English
Year: 1936
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Fulltext: 4 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL February, 1936 Fate Gives Britain a Change of Monarchs George V had been king of Britain just over 25 years when he at last gave way to death provoked by his long weak ness of the lungs and susceptibility to exposure. It was just on midnight, Jan uary 20, and the shortwave notices reached the world at once, from Sandring ham. Queen Mary survives, queen mother to the new king, Wales of yes terday, Edward VIII today, kinghead of the greatest consti tutional monarchy the world has ever known: an empire round the globe, integrated with English liberty. The common respect of the Philippines for Britain and gallant George A' was evinc ed at the memo rial services Jan uary 28 at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. John, where Bishop Gouvernor F. Mosher offi ciated. These ser vices were attended by a most cosmopo litan con course of Manilans, feeling sincerely the solemn sorrow of their Brit ish friends. President Manuel L. Quezon and Vice Pres ident Sergio Osmcna officially represented the Common wealth. High Commissioner Frank Murphy officially rep resented the United States; and the army, navy and con stabulary, as well as minor civil branches of the government were represented by rank. President Paul A. Meyer and Secretary Carl G. Clifford attended for the chamber of com merce. The cathedral was filled to capacity, many standing through the long services. Consul General Arthur P. Blunt alluded in his eulogy to the thorough democracy of the British throne: the king be longs, he pointed out, to no class—he is above all classes. His task, it may be said, is to personify Britain, to be a livGeorge V This man was king in Britain’s direst need, In the black-battled years when hope was gone His courage was a flag men rallied on— His steadfast spirit showed him king indeed. And when the war was ended, When the thought of revolution took its hideous place, His courage and his kindness and his grace Scattered or charmed its ministers to naught: No king of all our many has been proved By times so savage to the thrones of kings, Nor won more simple triumph over fate; He was most royal among royal things, Most thoughtful for the meanest in his state— The best, the gentlest, and the most beloved. This ode was written by John Masefield, laureate, at Los Angeles, when news of George Vs death reached him there, and was tele graphed to the Orient by Reuters. ing symbol of the realm; and such a task good times and bad, fair weather and foul, is most exacting. George V did it as Britons liked it done, and as the world approved. It involves fidelity in small matters and large, self-effacement and self-sacrifice always. Britain schools her kings, as she schools all her public men. The British constitution lives, and Bri tons are its life, Br.tish monarchs its signet and authority. “Should Fidelity ever be lost,” said Francis I, “seek her in the heart of a king.” It may be supplemented, much depends upon the king—-and even more upon his subjects. Those nations have the best kings who need them least; and Britain’s king is not her strongest-one, as such, as the word means, but the embodiment of her stubbornly mordant and tenaciously dignified traditions. Such a king was George V. But John Masefield having said this so well in his ode, there is no use expanding on it here. Let us rather summarize Britain in the Philippines, when and how she came here, what she means here, the part she plays. Britain plays a strong role in the Philippines, where there is the feeling that at least in an extreme emergency, she might take a stand for western civilization in the Orient. This explains the general respect she commands in the Islands, that owe their introduction to modern commerce to her intervention. Settling with Spain and France at a lull in the Napoleonic period, Britain insisted upon dissolution of Spanish monopoly of the Philippine trade into Europe, and upon Spain’s opening five ports of the Islands to ocean commerce. This gave the islands facilities needed for marketing surplus products and at once enlisted the interest not only of Britain and Europe but of the United States as well. It was also provided that merchants should be secure in their residence in the PhilipFebruary, 1936 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 5 pines, and in carrying on trade here. This was the founda tion of the European and American colonies in the Philippines, and broadened the Spanish colony to include merchants along with the clergy. From that time on, Britain and Spain were friends and the British interests in Philippine commerce influenced Spanish policy at Madrid. For a long time, America’s demand for Philippine sugar, hemp, coffee and copra—and the preeminence of her ships and merchants on the seas—gave the major trade to New England. Strong American companies led the mercantile life of Manila until well after the Civil War, finally failing, directly on account of sugar and want of banking support. These companies are British companies today, and still among the loaders of Philippine commerce. A number of major events turned America away from the sea. Among them may be mentioned the destruction of American ships by Confederate privateers during the Civil War, 1861-1865, and the rapid expansion of the American west after the Civil War, particularly vast projects of tele graphic communication, banking, ranching, mining, and rail way building. This kept America’s attention at home and left the field in the Far East to Europe, led by Britain and her rising competitor Germany. Britain forged ahead in the Philippines and held her place easily, Germany coming second. Britain’s further advantage and an incidental material service to the Philippines was the opening of the Suez canal, shortening the distance to this mercantile territory and cut ting costs of commerce with U. Thus very consistently during a century, Britain’s interest in the Philippines is readily traced. When commerce expanded enough, her banks were established here. She always saw the Philippines as of suf ficient importance at least to constrain her to friendship with Spain. When Germany began getting Spain’s more isolated islands in the Pacific, Britain intervened to impose a treaty. These arc now Japanese-mandated islands. This brings the situation approximately to the American period that opened in 1898, incident to America’s war with Spain, provoked-by Cuba. Years after that period began, no standard currency existed for the Philippines, no interna tional American bank was here, and exchange for exports to America, mainly carried by British ships, was fixed in London in sterling. This soon changed, but Britain still enjoys a leading place in Philippine commerce; particularly, on account of ships, banks and insurance, in their overseas commerce. Providing for the foreign communities in Manila, Britain implemented them well. A curious illustration of this, aside Edwaio VIII Wiiex I’kixce ok Wales Changing guards at Buckingham Palace from their consular services, is the International cemetery at San Pedro Maeati, up the Pasig river. It of course happened that most of Britain’s merchants were Scotch Dissenters or at least Anglican, and the New England merchants who were numerous were Congrcgationalists, cousins of the Dissenters. The clerical administration of the islands was at a loss to know what to do with such nonconformists when they died. They could not be buried iii blessed ground; their friends and relatives naturally wanted them cared for in their own faith, and so the International cemetery was granted. Administration of this cemetery still centers in the British consulate. Many names familiar to Philippine commerce are on the headstones. There is a part, even of the Philip pines, that will be forever England; quite as much so, we should say, as Rupert Brooks’s grave in the Levant. Of royal democracy in Britain, we will add the anecdote of Will Rogers’s visiting London and appearing at Buckingham Palace. ‘I’m Will Rogers and I’ve come to .see the King,” the United Press has him saying to the haughty guards. (Please turn to page dG) 26 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL February, 1936 Men of the M/kf Colorado School of Mines Alumni. This organisation is the only group of sts kind in the Islands. There ate about 30 Colorado School of Mines men in the Philippines. Left to right, bottom row, K. H. Hanson, E. C. Bitter, E. C. Bengson, C. G. Scott, R Keeler. Second row, G. T. Geringer, C. I. Dismant, L. W. Buchanan. Backrow, C. E. Osborn, H. B. Parfet, W. E. Heinrichs, Leo Gump, C. W. Burgess. Standing in back is E. C. Rice. Carlos Sylvestri is now on the staff of the I. X. L. Mining Company in Masbate as mine shift boss. He was formerly coirnected with Balgtoc and with Demonstration, and recently returned from a trip to Europe. Kenneth H. Hanson has transferred from Baguio Gold to Demonstration, where he is a mine shift boss. Charles Cushing, formerly connected with Marsman and Company, is now a mine shift boss at Balatoc. A. C. Melting, recent graduate of the University of Washing ton, arrrived in the Islands recently to join the staff of Demons tration as mine shift boss. S. L. Rohrer has been transferred from King Solomon to Suyoc Consolidated, where he is now assayer and engineer. R. E. Wilson is now mine shift boss at Itogon. He was formerly on the staff of Atok Gold. J. O. Enberg has returned from an extended vacation in the States, and is now head of the northern division of Marsman and Company. J. 0. Greenan, manager of the southern division of the company, will leave soon on a vacation, while J. B. Stapler, who has been northern division manager, will be stationed in Manila and in Paracale. G. T. Geringer, consulting engineer for the Sulu Mining Association, has been in Baguio this month in connection with his duties as chairman of the board for the examination of mining engineers. With E. C. Bengzon, also member of the board, he has been working on recent examination papers written by mining engineers. Progress of Prospecting-- {Continued from page 23) Prospecting, and the subsequent development of an orebody, arc not haphazard processes. The fundamental principles have changed but little and luck only plays a minor part. To have any real chance of success the search must be intelligently planned and carefully executed. Where mineral deposits are found only systematic development will establish their value and make them available for profitable exploitation. All this requires both time and money, but there is no real short cut, and to neglect the principles is to court failure and loss. Fate Gives Britain... (Continuedfrom pagco) Windsor Castle, Where George V Lies in St. George's Chapel. “Tell him when the Prince of Wales was over in our country he told me to look up his old man some time, and here I am.” Rogers was admitted, and not only had a long talk with King George but also stayed to lunch. George V humanized his kingship well.—IP. li. Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corp. Authorized Capital .... $50,000,000 Issued and fully paid . . . $20,000,000 Reserve Funds: Sterling............................£ 6,500,000 Silver................................ $10,000,000 Reserve Liability of Pro prietors ................................ $20,000,000 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND | HEAD OFFICE IN HONGKONG ; I V. M. GRAYBURN, Chief Manager, Hongkong. I LONDON OFFICE 9 Gracechurch Street, E.C. 3. i Manila Agency Established 1873 | Agency in Iloilo Agents at Cebu, Messrs. Ker & Co. ( The bank buysand sells and receives for collec tion Bills of Exchange, issuesdrafts on its branches ] and correspondents in the United States, Canada, j Great Britain, Continent of Europe, Australia and Africa and transacts banking business of every description. Current accounts opened in Philippine currency. I Fixed deposits received in Philippine Currency, British or U. S. Currency at rates which may be had on application. I C. I. COOKES, Manager. 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