Book Description

MOTHER AMERKA A Living Story of Democracy BY CARLOS P. ROMULO DOUBLEDAY. DORAN COMPANY. INC. GARDEN CITY. NEW YORK 1943 Press, GARDB ci Y, N. T u, 8. A. CI, COPYRIGHT, 1943 BY CARIES P. ROMULO ALL RIGHTS kESfiRVED FIRST EDITION Dedicated To the Filipino soldiers who fought and died beside Americans on Bataan and Corregidor in defense of the Philippines, and to their brothers in the Far East the one billion inarticulate Orientals who are daring to lift their eyes toward the dazzimg hope of freedom. AUTHORS NOTE THE FIRST FOUR DOCUMENTS included in the Appendix . are the Magna Charta of the Philippines. They show the im portant steps in the evolution of the Filipino people to self government. That the Filipinos believed in democracy and thought along republican lines even before the advent of American rule in the Philippines is shown by I The Con stitution approved by the Philippine Republic in 1899. PREFATORY NOTE THIS is a living story of democracy. It is political science per sonalized. Americas work in the Philippines is a masterpiece in human relationship because it is human. I write it as a Filipino who is one of the beneficiaries of Philip pine-American collaboration. I write it so that America may know what she achieved in the Philippines. I write it also for the world that subject races may be informed of how the Filipino people in creasingly fought for their freedom, and that sovereign nations may profit by the example of America. For America was the only sov ereign nation in the Far East that in its hour of danger was able to count on the loyalty of its subject people. I write as a private citizen of the Philippines. The views expressed in this book are mine and are notofficial. I presume to speak for no government But I am convinced I bespeak the sentiments of all my Filipino comrades-in-arms who fought in Bataan and Corregidor. We know why and what we fought for there. My acknowledgment goes to President Manuel L. Quezon, who granted me leave of absence without pay from the Philippine Army and later placed me on inactive military status to General Douglas MacArthur, for having sent me to America from Australia on special detail to Harold Matson, for valuable advice and help to Evelyn Wells, my loyal friend, for research and co-operation and to Solomon Arnaldo of the office of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, for the appendices. I must not forget to dedicate a few words of appreciation to the memory of the late Very Reverend Father James M. Drought, Vicar General of the Maryknoll Mission, with whom, before his untimely death, I discussed various portions of this book. CARLOS P. ROMULO CONTENTS PAGE Introduction. Why America xi CHAPTER I What Imperialism Means to the Far East ... i II The Oriental Looks to Democracy 7 III The Philippines Under Imperialism .... 12 IV Revolution Against Spain 19 V Revolution Against America 25 VI America in the Philippines 31 VII Material Advantages 37 VIII Of Higher Values ......... 41 IX His Ways Are Peculiar 46 X The White Man in the Orient,54 XI The Japanese Mind 65 XII Our Third Fight for Freedom 72 XIII Details of Democracy, 80 XIV Problems of Other People 91 XV Countries in Jeopardy, 107 XVI Voices of the Far East 114 XVII Pattern for the Pacific 123 xi zu CONTENTS CHAPTER PACE XVIII Position of the Philippines 134 XIX Spiritual Pattern 140 APPENDICES I The Constitution of the Philippine Republic . . 147 IIThe Jones Act 163 HI The Tydings-McDuffie Independence Act With the Amendment. 181 IV Constitution of the Philippines 206 V The Mind of a New Commonwealth 228