Transition to Independence: the Commonwealth

THE CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE
Saturday, July 31, 2010
-1919-1934
The evolution of American policy on Phil. Independence was not very clear.

Political leaders vied w/ one another to demonstrate the intensity of their advocacy of independence.United states had no effective answer for phil. Independence

-1916 filipino received the promise of independence it contained preamble of Jones Law provided impetus to the rising tide of filipino aspirations for immediate independence.
-1918
a more sustained effort to terminate american rule
-November 1918 phil. Legislature created the commission of independence
They compose of 11 senators and 40 congressman
-March 1919 legislature approved a declaration of purposes for the guidance of the commission

Nacionalista - the majority party

DEMOCRATA -the opposition minority party, participation to give the campaign as semblance of national party

7 Nacionalista’s

1.Manuel L. Quezon 5.Benigno Aquino Sr
2.Sergio Osmena 6.Camilo Osias
3.Manuel A. Roxas 7. Elpedio Quirino
4. Jose Abad Santos

FIVE DECRATA’S
Claro M. Recto
Emilio Tria Torina
Juan Sumulong
Pedro Gil
Ruperto Montinola

THE INDEPENDENCE MISSION

1919- first parliamentary mission was sent to U.S during the administration of Woodrow Wilson. Lead by Manuel Quezon

Newton D. Baker- secretary of war- conveyed to reassuring encouragement in favor of petition of senate Pres. Quezon and Rafael Palma for Philippine Independence

April 1922- second parliamentary mission was present on Washington lead by Osmena and Quezon

General Frank McIntyre- chief of Bureau of Insular Affairs of the War Department
He directly supervised the Philippines.

August 1922- the second parliamentary mission was returned w/ no more assurances from U.S

In 1923-1925- the independence commission successively sent independence mission to Washington

November 1923- new house speaker of the Philippines Manuel A. Roxas lead the special mission to asked for Woods relief the Philippine Independence.

February 21,1924- president Calvin Coolidge –delivered his reply to the memorial in serve letter.

Fairfield Bill-introduced on the house committee on insular Affairs on-April 1924

Hare-Hawes Cutting Act- propose a 30 yrs. Period of autonomy w/c the Phil. Would have control of insular affairs w/ an elective Governor General for the Commonwealth of the Phil.

1944-Fairfield Bill provided for absolute Independence for the Philippines.

Third Parliamentary Mission

considered one of the most distinct of all missions because of incidents attending its return to the phil.

1929- congressional interest in Phil. Independence would not revived.

1924- the insular auditor disallow the 1 million peso appropriation w/c financed the mission and the publicity bureau in Washington

August 1925-Osmena went as a special envoy to Washington
-to confer w/ the Washington government and congress for the final solution of the Phil. problem.

Bacon Bill- one the reactionary bills separating Mindanao Sulu and Palawan from the jurisdiction of the Phil. Autonomy Government

November 1923- proposed of separation of Muslim territory from Phil. Government

Mindanao and Sulu- unorganized territory under the American flag.
Moro Province and Christian North- have an arguments for the Bacon Bills of the Phil.

THE SUMPREME NATIONAL COUNCIL

QUEZON- launched the Supreme National Council-uniting all political parties and all segments of Filipino society for an ostensibly more effective and vigorous fight for Phil. Independence

Objectives of the Supreme National Council

1.)The attraction of substantial filipino’s not here to fore prominent in the independence campaign w/ the seeming subordination of the politico element w/c thus far had dominated
2). The decentralization of the campaign so that the provinces might take an active part here to fore played only by Manila
3.)An attempt at the gradual and peaceful use of the political authority vested in the American Governor and the Phil. Legislature

June 1927
-The general impression was that the council had little vitality left and by 1928 it had completely faded away

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PLEBISCITE
-Senate Bill 198
-Major disagreement between Governor Wood and the filipino leaders concerned an independence.
-Providing on immediate independence in early Nov.1925
-Counteract the anti independence campaign in the U.S premised

Governor Wood-Vetoed the plebiscite bill in Dec.1925

JULY 1926:
The bill was re-introduced and approved by the Phil. Legislature

*American Interest Groups ‘Friends’ of Phil. Legislature*
-U.S, ECONOMIC INTERESTS:
-Agriculture (sugar, farm bloc)
-Marshall their forces
-To effect tariff revision in their favor
-Labor and extreme patriotic groups opposed to Filipino immigration isolationists anxious about the Japanese menace in Asia.
-And anti-imperialists

FREE TRADE
-Economic commercial relations between the Phil. and the U.S
-The only development policy implemented in the Phil. during American colonial period.

Payne Aldrich Act of 1909
-Established 2 way free trade except for generous quotas on sugar and tobacco

UNDERWOOD-SIMON’S ACT (1913)
-Wilson Administration remove all quota limitations on phil. Products and complete free trade was established.
*They export phil. Product that profitable in the U.S market:*
Sugar, copra, coconut oil, abaca or hemp, tobacco

AMERICAN FEDERATION of LABOR (AFL)
-Propose that the exclusion laws applicable to other Asians be applied to the Filipinos.
1926:
Filipino immigrant begun and became chiefly concerned w/ the problem of filipino immigrant labor competition
1929-1934:
Filipino representatives continuous to steer the independence movement in Washington

March to October 1929
Roxas & Osmena.
New mission sent to U.S by Roxas:
-were in Washington as a legislative committee.

Manuel C. Brion-house majority floor leader

democrata leaders
-Pedro Gil
-Juan Sumulong

January 15,1930:
-Hearing on Phil. Independence were begun and focusing on Hawes-Cutting Bill.

OSROX-MISSION (1931-1933)
-Longest mission in the U.S stayed almost 3 years
-Over the veto of Pres. Hoover

HARE-HARES CUTTING ACT
-Became a law on January 17,1933

November 1933:
-Quezon left for the U.S as a head of joint legislative committee

TYDINGS-MC DUFFIE ACT:
-officially the Philippine Independence Act; Public Law 73-127
-approved on March 24, 1934 was a United States federal law which provided for self-government of the Philippines and for Filipino independence (from the United States) after a period of twelve years.
-It was authored by Maryland Senator Millard E. Tydings and Alabama Representative John McDuffie.

Clarke Amendment to the Jones Act of 1916:
-Allowed the U.S Pres. To fix date for the granting of Phil. Independence from 2 to 4 years from the passage of the bill.

Coolidge Administration
-Last resort inspired introduction of the Fair Field Bill

Fair Field Bill
-Offering Philippine autonomy as a compromise measure to head independence