The Philippines

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 6th Year

Issue

Issue No.

2

Date Released

1940

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1The Philippines

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: The March of Time this month pictures the new problems facing the Philippines as a result of today’s mounting war fever, and shows how Philippine independence - scheduled to take effect in 1946 - is already seriously threatened by Japan’s current expansion programme in the South Pacific. As Europe’s war engulfs and weakens more nations, the little men of Japan, commanding the world’s thord largest navy, see in the South Pacific the richest of all colonial prizes - the Netherlands Indies, now almost defenceless. But between the Japanese and the Dutch East Indies lie the Philippines, a group of 7,091 islands still under the protection of the United States. After 300 years of Spanish rule and 40 years under the U.S. flag, the March of Time shows that the Philippines are today assuming a new strategic and economic importance. The islands already do an annual domestic business of half a billion dollars, in addition to a foreign trade of 250 million, and flourishing Philippine industries have consistently maintained a profitable surplus of exports over imports. To Japan the Philippines’ sugar industry, chromite and gold would be of inestimable value at the present time. Already the Japanese have gained almost entire control of the important industry of the growing and processing of manila hemp. This steady economic penetration of the islands by Japanese immigrants is, the March of Time reveals, a constant source of concern to Filipinos and Americans alike. Subsidized by their government, the Japanese have circumvented restrictions so successfully that they now have a firm footholf in business and commerce there, controlling 35 per cent of all retail trade in the islands.

Although they have been safe and prosperous under U.S. protection since 1899, the one ambition of the Philippine people has always been to govern themselves. Today, the March of Time shows, they enjoy greater political freedom, prosperity and security than any other Oriental people; and in their modern progressive schools young Filipinos are acquiring the education they will need to govern themselves.
For twenty-five years Manuel Luis Quezon has been the self-appointed leader of the freedom movement, and six years ago he journeyed to Washington for an event which was his greatest personal triumph, the granting by the U.S. Congress of full and unconditional independence for the Philippines to take effect in 1946. For his services in the fight for freedom, Quezon was elected First President of the new commonwealth. To preserve their newly-won independence, the Filipinos have adopted compulsory military training and an armament programme that calls for the expenditure of eight million dollars a year for the next six years. By 1946 they hope to have a well-equipped army of 10,000 regulars and 300,000 reserves.
But, although the Philippine Assembly has just passed a new Immigration Bill that will reduce Japanese immigration from about 2,000 to 500 annually many people in Manila today believe that a Japanese "Fifth Column" is at work laying the foundation for eventual absorption of the islands into the Japanese Empire. Fear of aggression has already led to the establishment of a new political faction which is now anxiously seeking abandonment of the "complete independence" plan in favour of "dominion status" under the U.S. and permanent protection under the American flag. Whether or not the Philippines are destined to achieve the independence they have so long sought, the March of Time concludes, is impossible to foretell - for in the war world of 1940, no one knows that momentous changes history will have recorded for the world of 1946.

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.6 No.10 of the US edition.

Keywords

Economics; Foreign relations

Written sources

Documentary News Letter   Vol.1 No.7 July 1940, p7.
The March of Time Promotional Material   Lobby Card, Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Time Inc.