811B.01/4–1345: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Manila (Steintorf)
61. Your 84, April 13, noon,17 and 85, April 13, 2 p.m.18 Information regarding action of Cabinet is timely and greatly appreciated by Department. Osmeña conferred with President at Warm Springs April 5, and later in the day the latter at a press conference expressed the hope that he would be able to proclaim complete independence for the Philippines by autumn. Osmeña was present at press conference when President made statement. The President stated that he did not know precisely when it would be possible to determine that “constitutional [Page 1197] processes and normal functions of Government”19 have ‘been restored in the Philippines but that he was hopeful he could issue the proclamation by autumn in as much as he expected organized Japanese resistance to end by then even though Japanese guerrilla activity might still continue. Mr. Roosevelt said that the war had not changed in the least our promise to make the Philippines a separate and self-governing nation and that he favored the continuation of tariff preferential treatment by the United States until the Islands have had an opportunity to rebuild economically.20 In the interview the President also stated that the United States and other United Nations must accept trusteeships over Japanese mandated islands and construct new naval and air bases in the Pacific as a move towards stamping out Japanese militarism.
For security reasons President asked that his views be withheld from publication until he returned to Washington. White House authorized publication evening April 12.
President Osmeña, who has recently undergone an operation at Jacksonville, Florida, is arriving in Washington today to attend President Roosevelt’s funeral. If and when the information requested in the last paragraph of your 85, April 13, 2 p.m.21 can be obtained it will be telegraphed to you.
- Not printed; it reported that the Philippine Cabinet would very shortly issue a statement supporting President Osmeña’s request to President Roosevelt that the Philippines be given independence on August 13, 1945 (811B.01/4–1345).↩
- Not printed.↩
- Language of S. J. Res. 93.↩
- For documentation on measures by the United States to define trade relations between the United States and the Philippines after Philippine independence and on participation by the United States in measures for the relief and rehabilitation, see pp. 1299 ff., and 1215 ff.↩
- Last paragraph of this telegram requested Department to send information on President Osmeña’s opinion of a member of his Cabinet (811B.00/4–1345).↩