The blow is falling
Media
Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal
- Title
- The blow is falling
- Language
- English
- Source
- The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XIV (Issue No.4) April 1934
- Year
- 1934
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- The Blow Is Falling The great solicitude of an overwhelming majority of congress for the welfare and aspirations of the Filipino people is more manifest every day. Two years ago, congress passed, over the President’s veto, the HawesCutting bill. This bill was not accepted by the Philip pine legislature. Now we have the Tydings-McDuffie bill, which is nothing more nor less than a revamp of the Hawes-Cutting bill. If congress had stopped there our predicament would have been bad but not hopeless. Unfortunately, congress did not stop there. It has not only gone on to nullify the trade provisions of the Tyd ings-McDuffie bill, but is cutting down on the amount of our sugar that may enter the United States, and both houses have approved bills which place an excise tax on our copra and coconut oil that will bar these products from the United States market and react ruinously upon our planters, oil mills, and about 4 million persons dependent upon the coconut in dustry for their daily bread. The latest move of the in fluenced al truists in con gress is to ad vance the date forabsolute inde pendence from 10 to 3 years. Senator Tydi n g s ’ proposals are for a recipro cal trade treaty mutually benefi cial to the Philip pines and the United States. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Re ceipt develop U. S. IMPORTS REFINED SUGAR ments show us what we may expect. We are like the little boy who was given by his older brother his choice of 2 apples. The big brother told him, he could take the little one or none. What chance have we to protect ourselves? Our present governor general has fought our cause as no other gov ernor general ever did. He has taken off his coat and entered the fray without regard to what his co-party leaders might say or how his political future might be affected. His acts and words have been dictated by a sense of fair play and justice only. Even the President of the United States, a confidant of Governor Murphy, is our ally; but is he strong enough himself to save the day ? It is high time now that all elements who have the mu tual welfare of the people of these islands at heart, work in earnest for our future welfare. We are victims of politicians, not statesmen, on both sides of the Pacific. Those who cause the Amer icans of the Philippines to put their faith in the sense of justice of the fu ture administra tor of the Philip pine government fail to realize the fact that both Filipinos and Americans will be on the outside looking in. Compadres, let us join now and be ho nest, at least with ourselves. J. R. WILSON Secretary American Chamber of Commerce.
- pages
- 3