Philippines is one of United Nations

Media

Part of Philippines

Title: Philippines is one of United Nations
Language: English
Year: 1943
Rights
Fulltext: who were doing their best to keep his departure to Australia a secret. President Quezon spent March 19 in Jimenez and the next two days in Dansalan on the shore of lake lanao 2.000 feet above sea level. During his stay in Mindanao h~ designated Brig. Gen. Manuel Roxas, who had asked to be allowed to remain in the Philippines, to act for the President in all the unoccupied areas. On the night of March 22, President Quezon's party motored to Del Monte, a pineapple plantation from which they could easily reach the airfield. There they waited four days for the appearance of three Flying Fortresses from Australia. At 10 o'clock on the night of March 26 the Quezon party motored to the airfield. The cars, lighted only by the moon. moved slowly. Aboard Flying Fortress The Quezon party were helped into their places in the planes. The Flying Fortresses rose into the air and the lights on the air.field were rurned off. The President of the Philippines had seen the last of his native soil until the day of victory. The planes arrived in northern Australia the next morning. President Quezon later s~id that he had never realized that that continent was so near the Philippines. The Quezon parry breakfasted in Port Darwin. 111e eggs he had that morning were the best he had ever eaten, the President observed. The Flying Fortresses resumed their trip to southern Australia, rwo of them reaching Alice Springs in the afternoon. The plane bearing Vice President Osmeiia and Major Soriano was missing. President Quezon refused co go on with the trip until they were found, so he spent the night in a small hotel in Alice Springs. The missing plane ran short of gas above the Australian desert. The pilot grounded t~ plane to await rescue. The plane's radio failed to work. After some tinkering with it, the crew succeeded the next morning in sending a flash before it went dead again. That afternoon a rescue plane appeared. The Flying Fortress obtained enough gas to make che 50 miles ro Alice Springs. The rest of the trip co Melbourne was velvet. President Quezon and his party were taken in a comfortable transport plane from the mid-desert cown co Adelaide, where they boarded a train for Melbourne. General MacArthur was waiting for them at the station. President Quezon also met Governor General Gowrie of Australia and Prinle Minister Curtin, who expressed the admiration of the Australians for the gallant fight that the Filipinos were putting up. They felt that the determined stand of the Filipinos was aiding Australia immeasurably by giving her more time to prepare her defenses. President Quezon soon realized that he could do much more for the Philippines in Washington than in Melbourne, so he decided to accept the invitation of the President of the United States. His party boarded a San Francisco-bound American transport, a one-rinle transpacific liner, escorted by a cruiser always within a half-mile. The transport voyage was comparatively smooth and uneventful, although the ship had to zigzag much of the way. At Work in Washington ""One beautiful morning I sighted San Francisco's Golden Gate, which I never expected co see again when I entered the tunnel of Corregidor," President Quezon said, upon his arrival in Washington. In San Francisco President Quezon was met by Oscar Chapman, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, and representatives of the Army and Navy. Aboard a special train sent by order of President Roosevelt, the Quezon party arrived in Washington on May 13, 1942. At the Union Station the Filipino leader was greeted by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Secretary of State Hull, Secretary of War Stimson, Secretary of Interior Ickes, J usrices of the Supreme Court, Senators and Congressmen, and former Philippine Governors General and High Commissioners. President Quezon and his family were invited co spend the night at the White House. The next day when the Philippine and American flags were raised at the Philippine Commonwealth Building at 1617 Massachuserrs Avenue the President of the Philippines was already at his desk. Malacafian Palace had been transferred to Washington for the duration. Philippines Is One of United Nations Representation of the Philippines in the Paci.fie War Council and its admission as one of the United Nations have brought our c~unrry virrual recognition as an independent nation. In a historic ceremony in the White House on June 15, 1942, President Quezon affixed his signarure to the Declaration of the United Nations. On the same day, in the same ceremony, Mexico also became one of the United Nations. In an address in Baltimore a few days later Under Secretary of Stare Sumner Welles said of this event: "It signalized the entrance into the rights and obligations of that pact of the people of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, whose epic resistance against the invading hordeswhose loyalty to their American brothers-will never be forgotten by the people of the United Stares. No nation MARCH 15, 1943 has ever more fully earned its right to its independence." President Quezon represents the Philippines in the potent Pacific War Council. This body, composed of representatives of certain United Nations countries, meets weekly in Washington, with President Roosevelt presiding. Ocher members are the Ambassadors of Great Britain, China, and the Netherlands, and the Ministers of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Formal recognition of the Philippines in the Paci.fie War Council and as one of the United Nations was among the first things President Quezon worked for after his arrival in the United Stares. On June 10 he wrote Secretary of Seate Cordell Hull: "The people of the Philippines are whole-heartedly devoted to liberty and fully subscribe to the principles set 3 forth in that great document, known as the Atlantic Char· rer, which was proclaimed by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill on August 14, 1941. "We have been barding since December 7, 1941, ro preserve our country from the menace of Japanese aggression. Although a large part of our territory is overrun by Japanese military forces, our soldiers are still actively engaged in meeting and harassing the foe wherever possible. We do nor intend to be cowed by the armed might of Japan. We shall continue the struggle with every means in our power. 'We desire ro associate ourselves with chose nations which are fighting for the preservation of life and liberty against. the forces of barbarism that seek world domination. Accordingly, the Commonwealth of the Philippines hereby formally adheres to the Declaration by United Nations of January 1, 1942." Mr. Hull, in his prompt reply to President Quezon's letter, said : "The entire freedom-loving world admires the great courage and valor shown by the people of the Philippines during the past six months as they have galla?tly fought to preserve their country from Japanese aggression. On behalf of rhis Government, as depository for the Declaration by United Nations, I cake pleasure in welcoming into ·chis group the Commonweald1 of the Philip~ines." . The Philippines was the 28th country to JOIO the United Nations. Since President Quezon signed the Declaration three other nations have joined. These nations of different creeds and races are united in the war to preserve human dignity and freedom. This international recognition of the Philippines signalized the world's awakening to the Filipino's long struggle for freedom. It was a realization of a hope of the councless Filipino heroes who had given their lives in centuries past and more recently in Bataan and Corregidor. As one of the United Nations, the Philippines will participate in the reconstruction of the world envisioned by the Atlantic Charter. Because of the Filipinos' long contact with both Western and Oriental civilizations, the Philippines stands in an excellent position to serve as interpreter of the West to the Ease and of chc East to chc·Wcst. Quezon Tells Why Filipinos Fought As They Did President Quezon recently explained ta the /lmerican people why the Filipinos fought as gallantly as they did in the Battle of the Philippines. He pointed 011t the vital difference between the resistance put up by Filipinos against the Japanese invaders and the m11ch less impressive resistance shown by the people in Indo-China, Bnrma, Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies. The President said that Filipinos were fighting for their own freedom and for a country vICcory, and it will come. The Japanese occupation of our homeland we see only as a passing-though tragic-phase of our history. Our eyes arc on the future, and on the happiness and freedom which the future holds for us. The record of the Filipino people in chis war has been written in blood, and it is a record of which you and I can be proud. le is a record of unflinching loyalty to the United Scates, a record of heroic deeds. It is a record wirllouc parallel in the Orient, and-I may add-in the hi5tory of colonialism. which fully belonged to them. He to/J Americans that Filipinos fought not because they owed allegiance to the United States but because America had done what no other colonizing power had done to ih colonies. "Under your flag we had tasted freedom," the President Full text of the speech delivered by President Manuel L. Que{on before the Maryland Bar Association in Baltimore on January 16, 1943. In the case of China, which fought and is fighting Japan with a courage and determination that is the admiration of the world, she is defending her own sovereignty and declared. President Quezon's timely message to' the American people was delivered before the Maryland Bar Association in Baltimore. The full text follows: I APPRECIATE more than I can say your invitation chat I be your guest of honor on this occasion, ai;id I thank Senator Radcllife for the invitation he has extended to me in your behalf. Today, as you know, the Japanese occupy my country. But before they succeeded, we fought them to exhaustion, despite overwhelming odds. Even now there are still many Americans and Filipinos who have refused to surrender. They are in the hills, still resisting. We will continue to fight them until the .American forces arrive in sufficient numbers to throw the Japanese out of the Philippines. We have not accepted defeat in rile Philippines. The word is 4 her own Bag. In the Philippines, it was your Bag and your sovereignty that were assailed. Ir is rrue that it was our country that was invaded. But so was Indo-China, and Burma, and Malaya, and rile Netherlands East Indies, where the Hags of foreign countries were Hying. Have the natives of these countries fought the invader? Except for those who were enlisted in the regular armies of these sovereign nations, no one else among them rook part in the war by the side of the governments to which they owed. allegiance. Certainly, rile people as a whole did nor fight. WHY WAS there this vital difference in the Philippines? The answer is that, when we fought for your Bag, we were fighting for our own freedom; when we resisted rhe invasion of our country, we did so because we knew the Philippines was our country nor only de facto but de jure. And we were loyal to you, co your Hag and to your PHILIPPINES