Problems in the news

Media

Part of The Philippine Educator

Title: Problems in the news
Language: English
Year: 1947
Rights
Fulltext: - -::: = ...... __ ? ~ =~~ .... ~ PROBLEMS in the HEWS= ~~lf~~r BY S1LVli'TA C. LAYA ···:.:·' · 1. Secretary of Statt! Marshall told Congress that China and Europe need $2,657,000,000 as American aid. $300,000,000 is earmarked ·!or loan to Chiang }Ui-shek to combat inflation-i. e., the loan would be given China only if Chiang Kai-shek institutes basic economic and political reforrn:r--presumably under American supervision. cz.. Why is Sec. MarshalL interested in helping China? b. Why is there need for political refOT'm$ in China.? • c. Would this not be interfering· with the internaL affairs of Chi- · · na? 2. The U. N. general assembly approved a 9-nation commission to supervise the U. S. proposal to establish · · an independent Korea. The Philippines is a member of the commission. The Soviet bloc already made knOWR that it would boycott this Commission and would bar it from the Soviet military occupation zone in northern Korea. a. Why does the Soviet bloc propose to boycott the Commis:;ion? b._ Why does Russia intend to bar it from its zone in Kore<li? c. Is this anotheT case of U.S.-Russia rivalry~ On the other hand, W1ute Russia's Kiselev charged that the Philippines had openly flouted t!1e resolution; that the U.S. and Great Britain help France in power by trading with Spain. a. Why has Spain become a bone of · contention between Russia and the western democracies? b. How has the Philippines flouted the resolution? Should we have acted otherwise? c. Why has the United States abstained from voting in favor of the resolutions qgainst Franco? 4. Foreign Minister Molotov said that .. the atomb bomb secret has long ceased to exist." Moscow broadcasts also took Molotov's theme that "Russian nationalism of the war years had given way to the resurgence of communistic intemationalism." a. What ma,y be th~ _ significance of Russia's possessing the atombomb secret? b. What is meant by "communistic internationalism"? In what way is it a me?Ulce to world peace? c. Why is America apparently taking every victory of Russia to mean her own defeat? 3. The Soviet bloe fought for the application ot economic and political sa!lctlons against Spain. It reaffirmed the last General Assembly resolution calling all UN members to withdraw their representatives from Spain. ·..i 5. The Supreme Court in a 6 to 4 decision barred aliens from acquiring residential lands when ·it decided against Krivenko who bought an urban lot from the Magdalena Estate, Inc. in 1941. FOR MODERN OPTICAL NEEDS-SEE KEEPSAKE OPTICAL-SO Escolta 39 40 TilE Pll!LII'l'I::-\E EDUCATOR Chief Justice Moran said that decision was based on Art. XIII of the Philippine Constitution which limit.5 the d.s:;:>osifion and utilization of agric-..lltural lands to Filipinos or to Filipino-cor..trollcd coi-porations. a. Why may urban lots be considered agriculturaL lands? b. What dangers might have resulted had the decision been otherwise? c._Is it impor~ant that our natural 1·esourccs be reserved for generations to ccme? In what way does this decision help assure this? d. Why are Americans exempted from this decision of the SuPTeme Court? 6. New::; of election frauds and anomalies keep pouring m. a. What can be done about electio" frauds and anomalies? b. Should Malacanan wash it$ ha'l'ld.$ off them? c. How may we the people help assure clean elections? 7. The Manila Chronicle's editorial of Nov. 16 says: ''The highest manifestation of freedom of expression is the freedom to . oppose. Democracy cannot thrive without opposition. As long as men are free to think, they will always have cause to disagree. A nation of like-minded people or of people who are .forced to think the same way will certainly deteriorate into a dictatorship." a. Should we therefore encouragg opposition? Why? b. What should be the objectives of the present opposition? c. Is it always disloyalty when one opposes? d. How may the minority serve as effect~ve check of the majori.ty? 8. President Roxas told the Commission on Elections to diScharge its duty "hol'testly and withcut fear or favor" 1n order to prevent election frauds. a. What frauds, accordinq to tlie mi · nortty party, have beer, committed? b. If true, should they te tolerated by the party in power? c. Why has President Roxas ft 1 'i.l ' faith in the integrity and honesty of the Commission on E~ectioru? 9. President Roxas told a committee o! goveriU:1ent employees that the finances of the government do not permit any appropriation for a 3-month back pay a. Should government employees expect to be given back-pay? Why? r>. Is it the government's moral obligation to pay? 10. Mr. Venancio Trinidad, superintendent of City Schools, Manila, sa!d: "In no progressive country In the world can we find a pattern of education so abbreviated and so impoverIshed as o:trs. V\'hat they have been tryi:1g to accomplish in the United States in e:gbt years, using their own language, we try to do in about three yecrs, usine a language not our own." a. Why did Mr. Trinidad say that oz~r educational system in the grades is equivalent to three years only? b. What have we as tea~hers dor.e about this cond~tion of things? c. What can we do to bring pressure upon Congress so the Educational Act of 1~40 may be repealed? d. What has the Bureau of Public Schools and the Dzpa.rtment of Education ao~ about it? e. Are the parents aware of what this act is doing to the quality of education their children are receiving? 11. The request of the Philippines for a special 11,000 1on flour allotment for Decemb~r was turned down. An TilE PH ILI I'PIKE EDUCATOR 41 agriculture department official said: ''They (the Phillppines) are inclined to overbuy as witnessed last sPring when they revealed they possessed 100,000 tons, r equiring 30,000 tons to be sent to Japan to prevent spoil1 age ... " . I a. W hy was the request of t he Philippines for fTWTe f tour aLlotment turned down? b. I s it consist ent for u.s to r equest an increase of all.otment when we are allowed to expor t t his commodity ? 12. Mr. Amando B . Is.ip, public r el:'!tions officer of the Phil:ppine Chamber of Commerce, claimed that unless higher duty be imposed on rubber shoes from abroad, the local ma. "'lu!actl.:rers will be ruined. a.. What is the aim of that k ind of tariff? Does it aff or d effect ive protection of Z.Ocal industry? b. Why can't our Local manufacturers compete w ith forei gn manufacturers like those in Hongkong? 13. According to Mr. Tarsilo C.:tbillan of San Miguel, Leyte, the town mayor increased the police force without necessary fu..11ds. 'I'he teachers' aid was solicited through the principal. They are now paying the salary elf said policemen. a.. I: this a sign of civic mindedneu or servility? b. Should such help be asked of teachers onlyY e. Whenever campaigns for public supPort are instituted why is the teacher's help always solicited? What does this show about the teacher's influence on the community? 14. The ECAFE is charged primarily with the following task: a. "Initiate and participate in measures !for facilitating concerted action for the economic reeonstruction of Asia and the East, for raising the level c.f economic activity in Asia and the Far East and for maintaining and strengthening the economic relations of these areas both among themselves and with other countri.es of the world". · b. Make or sponsor such investieations and studies of economic and technological problems and deve!opments within territcrie3 of Asia and the F ar East as the Ccrnrri~on deems appropriate; c. Undertake or sponsor d issemination of such economic, technological and statistical information as the Comm ission deems appropriate. a. Of what advantage to the Philippines is the holding of the ECAFE in Baguio? b. What pr ob lem s likely t o be discussed and clarified are of imm ediate concern to the Phi.Hppines? c. Would it be to our adva.ntage if B aguio is 11W-d 2 the peT1T' .a.n~nt seat of t he ECAFE? 15. The Collector of Internal Revenue by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 722 collected unpaid. taxes from 1941 to February, 1946 from Koppel under protest. ft was alleged that being ·an American firm, its transact ions were stopped .nd its assets were liquidated by the J apanese. Judge Sotero Rodas of the Manila Court ruled in upholding the Collector's right to collect the unpaid taxes, that laws althqugh "oppressive and arbitrary" should be enforced by the courts. a. Should "oppressiv e and arbitrary• laws be enforced? Why ? b. How may such l.a.ws be changed? c. What role may J!Tivate _ citizens play in such cases? FOR MODERN OHICAL NEEDS-SEE KEEPSAKE OPTICAL-SO Escolta