Communicating with the Philippines

Media

Part of Philippines

Title: Communicating with the Philippines
Language: English
Source: Philippines 3 (2) April 9, 1943
Year: 1943
Subject: Philippines--History--1942-1945
Rights
Fulltext: pino p.."'Oplc nor the rest of rhe "·or:d belie"cd rhac che UniceJ St•lCC$ intended e\·cr t<l "'ithdr•l'I\'. The Filipinos Jcm.1nJcJ immeJi:ne independence. \Vhen chis was refused. rht'y concluded ch,11 the Philippines h:i..I dclin•red itself of •me foreign ryunny l)nly C•l find itself burdened with another. A fierce :1nd cr.1~ic fi~hc followed. It ended nnhwhen numerically supcri<~ A~crican for.:cs. better cr.1inC:t bcccer fed and 1:-eccer equipped. made furrhcr rcsisrnncc impossible. But the Filipinos were nm conquer<'-! by guns alone. Finally the~· began ro rcaliic the honest dforts nf America co help them make progress in e,·er}· lield d human endea\·or and. through trial and error. w :1chieve the democmic w.iy of liie. President McKinley lud dccbred: ··The Philippines :ire ours. nor co exploit but co develop. co civilize. co educate, co rr.iin in che science oi self-go,·ern· menr. This is rhe pach of duty which we must follow or be recre:inr to 3 mighry trust commicced co us:· Each Americ3n President after McKinley said somewhat the same thing. in "'ords of grearer or lesser grace. During \X.ilson's adminisrrarion, Congress enacted rhe Jones La"'· promising independence when a srable government could bt' esrablished in the Philippines. Eighteen years later. with President Roose,·elr's recommendation. Congress kept the earlier pledge. The Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 ga,·e the Filipino people an opporruniry co write their O\\'O democratic consticurion, establish rhe Commonwealth Governmenr. elecc 3 President, and prepare the inaugurnrion of the fell.fledged Philippine Republic in 1946. Thar was America's record in che Philippines. It is the secret of Bataan. The Filipinos fought for the American Aag. when it was arracked, because rhey knew they were fighting for rheir own freedom. And the Filipinos are still fighting the Japanese everywhere in the Philippines. Broadcasrs from Tokio re\'eal this information when, now and rhen. they cell the "·orld of executions of Filipinos en masse. The forty·ye-.ir .record of American-Philippine collabora· cion is not merelr an explanarion of Bataan. Ir is a signpost for rhe future. For here, charred through rrial and error, is the blueprint of che pracrical solution for working ouc the furure destiny of dependent peoples afrer the war. Under· lying rhe whole scory of America in the Philippines is the promise of Filipino freedom made and kept. This is che essence of the Atlantic Charter. ro which rhe United Nations are pledged. A recurn 10 rhe outworn ways of imperialism will sooner or later plunge mankind inco an· ocher v.·orld war. For the millions who yearn for liberry, it would make litcle difference who rheir masters are, if masters they will have. Dicratorshi ps or democracies arc all in rhe same category from rhe poinc of view of che subjugated people, unless democracies mean to recognize rheir right to govern themselves. Today in the Philippines, my people are suffering from want, from sickness, from Jack of everything they hacl prior to the invasion. Their wages have been reduced. There is vast unemployment. Free speech and a free press are things of the pasr. In what was once the best-informed Eastern nation there are now only the skimpy, censored newspapers printing falsehoods from Domei. Filipino eyes are on America and Filipino hopes are for deliverance. 2 Filipino$ remember whac President Roosevelt wlc.I them while they were in the chick of the light in Baraan. "I gi,·e to che people of the PhilipJ)ines my solemn pledge rhac cheir freedom will be redeemed and their indcpcndcnn· t-srablished and protected. The entire rt'sourccs in men ;1ml materi.11 of chc United St;1tes scond behind that ple,lgc.·· The Filipinos arc rnn\'in«ed rim this pledge will be fu(. filled. They know char. great as ;rrc 1heir losses in men and p~opcn)". much ,1s they arc •utTcring. their •acrilice i• nnr Ill \•;,liO, Ewn now, and before !lw inv,1der has been expelled from my country. the freedom for which our ancestors and our own gener.uion h.n·c fou,i:;ht and died is already a reality Pre>1<knc Rnoscveh h.is, m effect, already given the Philippines reco.i:nrrion .is •10 indc-pcndcnr n.1rion He ha~ rerngnized our right ro t.1kc p.1rc in the P3cili<: \1(7;u Council. with Gre;lt Brif:lln. China. the Netherl.lod• and the self·g•l\'Crnmg Dom•ninm of C.111.1d.t. J\usrrali.1 and New Zc.1land. The Prcs1dcnr of the: l!nirt·<I Stan·• him· sdf prcsides over tlw Council t.tbk In the name of :he Philippines. l .1111 .1 "i:;n.H"rr ''' rhC' Atlancic Charter. \Vie ;ire nnC' ()f rht· l ;n11c·d N.Hio"' And whether the war is ended before or .1fr1:r Julr ·i, 19-16. rhc date fixed for rhe esr.1blishme111 of the Philirp1nc Rt·pul>lic I am certain th;H we 'hall h.1,·c our own reprcscntarrnn m the Pe.1cc Conference. The only ihing l.tcking is rhc form.ti establishment of the Philippine RC'public. whid1 will u:r· rainly cake pl:occ a• soon as che Filrpinns ha\'e been freed from the dutches of the enemy and mn exercise their full right to elect rhc oflicials of tht· Gm-ernmcnt of rht· Republic. Moreover. hr agreement between Presidcm Roosc\'dt and myself, studies are now being made for submission to Congress of the means to rchabiliwc che Philippines t-conomically and financiallr. This is a real application of the Adancic Charter. che unanimous srafC.'ment of war aims b}' all the Uniced Nations. Ir is che wai• in which chc American people and the Filipino people can keep faith with che American and Filipino boys who died on Bataan and Corregidor. Communicating with the Philippines How can J send word to chc Philippines? How can I he;u: from my folks there? These :ire rwo questions upper· mosr in the minds of many people now in che United Scares who have relati\•es and friends in Japanese-occupied Philippines. Lacesc informarion from the American Red Cross is char chc· siwacion now is very much like whnr it was fosr year immediaccly ;ifter rhe fall of the Philippines. Amerirno Red Cross aurhoricies have not, however, given up hope char their atcempts to etTecc contact between interested par· ri<.-s in the rwo countries through chc International Red Cross in Swirzerlnnd may in rhc nccar future be successful. Ac present any person mny file n message of not more PHILIPPINES th:i.n 25 \\"ords at the nearest local ch;iptcr of the American Red Cross. The message. written on a stand:1rd ci\·ili.10 message form, along with others. will be sent t0 the Red Cross Headqu:iners in Washingron, which in cum trans· mits it to the International Red Cross at Gene\',l, where arrangements are beins made "·irh the .J.1panese Gm·ernmenr ro allow these messages co be delivered ro che addressees now li\'ing in the Philippines. Ir is cxpened 1h;1t after successful contact has been m'1de with peopk in the Philippines. mess.-iges from them will find their w.1y e"entu:tllr to the l'nited Srates. There ha\•e been few cases of personal mes~.1i:es by cable from the Philippines re;1ching the Unired Swes. So far. ho"·"'·er, there are no records in the American Red Cross Headquarters in \\"ashingron showing that any of the mess:iges from rhis count!')" have reached rheir desrin;ition in the Philippines. In addition t0 ~5-word messages which '""' transshipped to the Philippines. cables m:iy be sent co the Philip· pines through Gene,·n by wa}' of Tokyo. Although the American Red Cross does not guaranree deli,·err of these cables. the International Red Cross is making e"ery posPHILIPPINES GIVEN RECOGNITION AS INDEPENDENT NATION "Presidem Roosevelt has, in effect, already gil'en the Philippines recognition as an independe111 n111io11." This definition of the present political stat11s of tbe Philipphle1 is contained in a radio 1peech delivered by President Qt1ezon la~I Febmary 20. The speech is destined to be one of the mo1t importalll doett· sibk effort to get c.ich one through w ch<: inJi,·idu3l addressed. Ch.ugcs for chis sped.ii S<.'rvi<c \'Jry in a{cordance with existing rates for such (.tbles. Another question freq\lently asked by Filipinos in this country concerns their anxiety 1<1 smd money to relatives in rhe Philiprint'S for the prt:sc-m cherc is no way by "'hich money may b1.' 5<"m co the Philippines. Chances for sudt ;111 arr.1n!'emenr 1.!urin~ the w.1r .ue slam. It is known th.at hl'.1dq11.u1ers of some rl'l1.!!1ous organiz.1ti<>nS in rhe Philippm1.·s h.n·e n·1.ci\'C:d infnrm.11ion ahour mis;i1>n"rics in 1.<'rt.1111 ~cu'' >ll' 11f rht· Philippines. The same is trut· of l""''' olli<C'' 111 u>mrncr1.1.il h111i-t·s c·n.i:.i.ged i1~ busint."SS in tht' Phil1ppi11'·' ·'' 1h1.· nt11l:>rc-.rk oi the w.u. l'o d.Hc· thNt• is fl<> known li'I nt '"'"·•hit' .ind pr1;•>nC'f' oi the Philipp111t· Anny. wh1d1 «•tnr"''"' riK hulk ,.f rht· heroic JefcnJN~ of lht" l'h1lippint·'· :\ '''' .. t <."u.il11t·' 111 rhc Philippine So.:<>111' ".1\'.1il.1hk .11 rhc· \\'_,, lkp.Htmenr. Me.rnwhilc ir ;1ppt.1rs hC''t 1•1 w.111 .ind kt:<'p in dose much with thl' ln-.il dupt<·r 11( rht· Amcric.111 R1:1I Cm<< for the l~tesr 1k\'dnprn1:nt' in rlw n1.·.!!nt1.ttiom to reach people in the Ph1hppHK' by k·t11:r .. r lw <.thk. invasum of mir <<>umry hy J.1p.111. tht· J.1p.mi:s<· h.we direned their prop;1g;1nda •II t:rnl\'incin~ y<>u rh.H J.ipan is our friend and liberator. Your answ(;r, our .1nswcr. !us been to light them to rhe birrer end. The flower of our youth died side by side wait their Amerk.tn wmr.1dcs in Jefonse of our country, om liberties •. tnd the Americ1n and Philippine flags. The surrender 111entJ in 1he political histor')' of the country not only beca11re ii ir the {trst official acco11m of the developments that hat1e Jed to n•hat is tantamount to recognition of the Commonuiealth 111 a sovereign sl11te b11t also bec111ue it tu111 made with the knowledge 1111d apFull text of the r"dio mes· sflge delivered by President Jltmuel L. Quezon to the peo· JJle of the Phili1111ine11 on Febr11t1ry 20, 194.,. of Batlan and CorregiJ,ir did not end that epic struR1de. E\'Cn the broadcasts from Tokio tlut now .ind then tell of rhe stern and uucl measures taken by the Japanese Army in the Philippines against Filipinos, reveal that our people have not accepted defeat, and as best they crn. they are still lighting the invaders ac whatever cost. prot1al of the Pre1ident of the United States. " .. - by ottr lo')'alty to the American flag, we won a battle greater than we lost." With these word1, President Qnezo1: highlights the hi11ory of Philippine-Americ11n relations from the establishment of civil government to the Battle of the Philippine1. The meuage wa1 broadca1t by shortwtJVe to the Philippines and wa1 intended prima1ily to reach the Filipinos ruhom Premier Tojo is now trying to ruin over ruith promises of "independence." BecatJJe of ils significance, however, it w111 also rele111ed for publication in the United StaJes by the Office of Wdr Information. The ftdl text 1Jf the speech follows: MY BELOVED COUNTRYMEN: Om y('jlr ago tOday l began my long odyssey which srarted from Corregidor and ended in this great capital of the United Staces. It is now my duty. ro report to you on what we have accomplished during this year. I do not have ro tell you that from the first day of the .APRll. 9, 1943 BUT Japan is benr upon winning your good will by every possible dcvke-if she can. Knowing that independence is the cause for which our forefathers fought and died; knowing, too, that we have stood by America because she has made good her pledge to make our people free and independent, Japanese propaganda has been insistently telling you that you muse not have faith in Amer· ica, and that the independence of our country will only come from Japan. In line with this policy of deceit, Premier Tojo, at the last session of the Imperial Diet, has again reiterated his statement made lasr year that Japan is ready to grant independence co the Philippines. Assuming that tomorrow Japan was to declare the Philippines an independent na· rion, what would that mean? It would merely mean that the Philippines would be another "Manchukuo"-a government without rights, without powers, without authority. A government charged only wirh the duty to obey the dictates of the Japanese rulers. After the uagic end of
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