Feb. 20, 2016 – According to page 251 of the same book “In Our Image” by Stanley Karnow, in 1927 Quezon confided to Henry L. Stimson, the former Secretary of War that he prefer autonomy, dominion status over independence as an implied admission that Filipinos were not and in fact to this day not ready for self rule.
Stimson frankly told Quezon and Osmena that he opposed giving independence to the Philippines because of the “Malays’ tendencies to backslide” would destroy the archipelago.
Stimson also believed only the Americans could check the undemocratic oligarchy that doesn’t really care about the farmers, the majority of the people of the Philippines. Free institutions of democratic countries could only be promoted by Americans, as far as Stimson was concerned.
However, I do not agree with Henry Stimson that only the U.S. could effectively deal with the “undemocratic oligarchy” still in power to this day. 