Newspaper Clippings from the Philippines

Evening Freedom Speaks MANILA, PHILIPPINES, FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER 1949 sidential race. ple to bury him on the eighth of Truman Lays The Nacionalista party candi- date for president is Jose P. November. Laurel, who was set up as pres- "I have only the highest ident during the Japanese occu- praise for the statesmanlike sin- pation of the Philippines. One cerity and impartiality of the Off PI Polls, senator and two representatives American president and people. had urged consideration of the "This is the best proof that withholding of aid to see if Lau- our independence is real. rel is elected. "It is also the best proof that Promises Aid President Truman did not ans- Elipidio Quirino made a fool of wer the question precisely on the himself in his recent junket in point of proposals to withhold Washington, for in spite of his arms aid, but he used the occa- extravagant waste of the people's Asserts Filipinos sion to remark generally on the money to promote his own candi- United States attitude toward dacy, he has now been repudiated Are Free to Choose the Philippine election. This by the very nation he sought to same attitude has prevailed in impress. President They Like previous elections. 'At the same time we should The president did not elabo- all remember that American as- WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 - rate on his brief reply to the sistance will be most freely given (UP) - President Truman as- question. to the administration which will spread that assistance where it sured Filipinos that regardless of the outcome of the Philippine President Truman's statement will do the most good, among the presidential election on Novem- stirred local political circles, comman people. That adminis- ber 8, the United States will re- particularly the opposition quar- tration will be the administra- main friendly with its offspring ters. Minority leaders had react- tion of the Avelino Liberal Par- ed strongly to recent statements ty which has pledged to give the republic. b a U. S. senator and two Con- government back to the common Mr. Truman's assurance was people. given at his regular press con- gressmen that American aid to ference Thursday (U.S. time). the Philippines should be with- "The- Avelino Liberal Party The United Press reporter had held pending the outcome of the has pledged the establishment of asked the president to comment general elections here. a "welfare state" patterned af- on recent suggestions in congress Rep. Lawrence H. Smith, Wis- ter the Fair Deal of President that the United States withhold consin, in a speech on the floor Truman. I take advantage of aid to Philippines until af- of Congress recently, said that this opportunity therefore, to ter the election to see who is because the United States has pledge again that the money of elected president. no "positive assurance" that the Filipino people, as well as President Truman did not duck Jose P. Laurel, if elected ores- any American assistance, will be the question. He answered in a iden: of the Philippines, would used by my administration to single sentence that the Filipi- cooperate with the United States, give land to the landless, work nos have a right to their own President Truman should with- to those who are willing to work, choice and that the United States hold arms assistance to the Phil- higher wages to those who work, will remain friendly to the Phi- ippines until after the elections. and social security to the sick lippines whomever is elected. Rep. Fred L. Crawford (Re- and the unemployed, the orphans The fact that the president did publican of Michigan) gave voice and the widows, and the veterans not answer "no comment," or of the last war. to similar sentiments on the "I haven't given the matter any floor of Congress. In the U. S. thought," was considered signi- Senate, Senator Owen Brewster, ficant by political observers here, (Rep., Maine) echoed the opi- particularly in view of the fact nions of his colleagues in the that Nacionalista party leaders lower house. in the Philippines recently cabled Mr. Truman saying that re- Local QLP leaders laid stress cent statements in the U.S. con- on these statements of Amer- gress were being taken in the ican legislators in campaign Philippines as an indication of speeches and press releases, as- American preference in the pre- serting that the United States will cut off all aid to the Phil- ippines unless President Quirino is re-elected. Nacionalista senatorial candi- date Claro M. Recto countered by lashing out at what be called American" kibitzers", contend- ing that this group has no right to intervene in Philippine poli- tics, much less seek to impose its will on the local electorate. Only a few days ago, Nacionalista party president Eulogio Rodri- guez Sr., had sent a cablegram to President Truman request- ing that comments on the presi- dential elections in the Philip- pines on the part of Washington leaders be withheld and assur- ing +hat the minority candidate, Laurel, will cooperate fully with the United States if elected. Senator Jose Avelino's head- quarters has issued the following statement on President Truman's statement: "President Truman's state- ment is the last nail in the poli- tical coffin of Elpidio Quirino. All that remains is for our peu- Preservation Copy