THE PHILIPPINES
Politician v. Patriot v. Priest
Almost seven score and seven years ago the U. S. with patriarchal dignity named its foremost citizens to the Electoral College, allowed them in their wisdom to choose their leading patriot and biggest landowner, General George Washington, as first President of a new and independent nation. Next autumn the U. S. will launch the Philippine Commonwealth as a new and independent nation in its own image. Last week Filipinos got down to the serious business of electing their first President. The affair promised to be no patriarchal rite.
Manuel Quezon, president of the Philippine Senate and shrewdest of that crop of native politicos who have grown up in the islands under U. S. tutelage, was on his way back to the Philippines from the U. S. where he had seen Franklin Roosevelt sign the new Philippine Constitution (TIME, April 1). Before that Constitution was signed and before Filipinos in a plebiscite accepted it, Senor Quezon had laid his plans for becoming President of the Commonwealth. He had entered into a coalition with his onetime political enemies and between them they had agreed to a comfortable division of the new offices. There was to be but one ticket: Manuel Quezon for President; Sergio Osmeña, his onetime rival, for Vice President. Manuel Roxas, No. 3 man, would be Speaker of the single legislative body under the new Constitution. And the excess of leaders resulting from the coalition of two factions would be quietly taken care of by appointments to the Supreme Court. But last week as Señor Quezon was within a few days sailing distance of home, it appeared that anything might happen to upset his well-laid plans.
1) The coalition began to crack apart. From his ship Señor Quezon radioed threats that he would not lead the ticket unless the coalition stuck together.
2) A plot against his life, the third reported in two months, was discovered. At the Quezon home near Baguio, the summer capital, whither the would-be President will hasten as soon as he reaches Manila, there were unearthed eleven cases of dynamite stolen from a construction camp, enough to blow him far beyond reach of any earthly honors.
3) Two new candidates for President took the field against him.