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.

246 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

Shall we fortify our shores? This plan is the best which
we can adopt, because it will palpably show that our desire
is only to defend our integrity, and it cannot be alleged that
we have any intention of threatening the security of our
neighbors.
The forts in order to be effective should constitute a series
of perfect steps along our coasts so that they would support
one another. The isolated forts have little or no value. During the world war when some links of the chain of forts which
protected the eastern frontier of France were broken, and the
formidable fort of Verdun was found isolated, the Germans
did not preoccupy themselves in conquering it and they passed
through it gaining ground till they reached the doors of Paris.
If the Philippines does not count on anything else but on the
forts of Corregidor for her defense, Manila and the whole of
the country can be taken by the enemy without any effort.
How much money and how many years do we need in order
to effect a defensive program of this kind? Perhaps several
thousand millions, and figuring out 'on the basis of double
our actual income, a period of many years. Besides, taking
into account the constant fight between the projectile and the
cuirass, it is hoped that this colossal work can never be considered finished, because even when our technicians constantly
modify the plans, in accordance with the last improvements of
military science, it is very possible that when the last fort is
finished, the first will be considered antiquated and will have
no more value than that of a historic monument, as the walls
that surround the old Manila, which in their time must have
been formidable. Besides, these defenses need for its effective
function an extensive network of rails, strategic ways, and a
float of transports.
Whatever be the system of defense that we adopt, given our
easily blockaded condition, if we wish to present an effective
and prolonged resistance, we have to create all those enterprises
which will provide us with all that is essential. Firstly, we
need to produce the amount of rice sufficient to feed our population. We need to explore our petroleum mines or find a
substitute of carbon, iron, copper, etc.; to establish high kilns,