Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

POLITICAL SECTION

145

According to him, the first mission was a flat failure in
spite of the leaders' promises that with the people's support,
and their money, independence would be obtained from the
United States. The indifference of the public to a campaign
to raise funds does not mean that they have ceased to aspire
to political freedom, the senator asserted.
He added that the people have always done their best but
that.the leaders have failed to carry oUt their mission faithfully. He pointed out that there had been four or five opportunities when the leaders could have obtained the independence
of this country but that they let the opportunities go by easy.
The senator cited Jones Bill No. 1, the Clarke Amendment,
the Wilson principle of self-determination, and the King amendment on independence. He explained that the Clarke amendment had been approved in the United States senate by a big
majority and there was an interval of about eight months within
which to show that the Filipinos were strongly behind the
amendment. The leaders, at that time, according to him, did
not do their best, with the result that congress did not act
favorably on the amendment.
The Wilsonian principle of self-determination for small
nations could have been applied to the Philippines, but the
leaders were not able to show President Wilson and congress
how that principle applied to the Filipinos, Senator Sandiko
declared. Likewise, the King measure, which was put to a
vote in congress last session and was almost passed, showed
the leaders in another failure to take advantage of opportunities
for the solution of the independence problem.
Senator Sandiko stated that possibly the emancipation of
the country cannot be secured through peaceful means. The
American nation, according to him, wields such a tremendous
power and influence that it can dictate what it wants. He
recalled how the Washington administration, in the early days
of the American occupation, induced the Filipinos to form the
so-called Federal party in order that it could advocate permanent
retention, instead of freedom. Unless the independence of
this country suits the convenience of American power, the Filipinos need not await their freedom, said Senator Sandiko.