Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI

896.00/10–2750: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Philippines (Cowen) to the Secretary of State

confidential

Manila, October 27, 1950—5 p. m.

1074. Embtels 1049 and 1056, October 26 and 1067, October 27.¹ President Quirino paid call on me early evening October 26.² In course our conversation we discussed official Malacanan release October 25 allegedly evoked by US News World Report story on Bell report;³ Quirino did not deny he had approved it but alleged he had intended it be given local press without attribution to President’s office. (In view his failure issue immediate denial of statement subsequent its publication. I doubt truth of this assertion.) I informed him statement would be considered serious insult: (1) to American people, who are portrayed as mentors of Filipinos in racketeering and conspicuous consumption; (2) to US Goverment which is inferentially identified with “the stink familiar and now taken for granted in Washington”; and (3) to General MacArthur because of comment that Philippines paid billions dollars worth property and life for “luxury of welcoming General Mac Arthur’s triumphal return.”

President asked how he could get out of his predicament. Having in mind propaganda value for Commie’s all over world which the statement might have particularly if not disavowed, I indicated I personally felt that besides removing person or persons responsible from Malacanan Public Relations Post, President ought to retract the statement. Accordingly, he late same evening issued statement repeated to Department in reftel October 27.⁴

President’s admission that he approved statement’s publication but did not intend it be attributed Malacanan, forces us conclude that it expressed his own views. However, almost all the Philippine politicians who have deplored statement indicated concern over the relationship to Philippine expectations for US aid (even Vice President Lopez was quoted as saying it was “unfortunate”) since the statement was made at this time when the Philippines is seeking aid from the US has heavily mercenary overtones, this incident seems to me to force us recognize following as axiomatic in all dealings with Philippines: Filipinos may gracefully accept criticism which is tendered in private but they may be expected strike back bitterly when publicly reproached. Bitterness of this reaction appears to be directly proportional to validity of the censure.

Cowen

1. On October 25 the Office of Public Information of Malacañan, the Philippine Presidential residence, issued to the press a statement. credited to an unnamed Philippine “commentator”, which strongly condemned the criticism of Philippine corruption and inefficiency contained in the Report to the President by the United States Economic Survey Mission to the Philippines. The telegrams under reference here, none of which are printed, reported upon this incident and its aftermath. For significant portions of the Malacañan statement of October 25, see George E. Taylor, The Philippines and the United States: Problems of Partnership (New York, London: Frederick A. Praeger, Publisher, 1964), pp. 140–141.
2. At the time of President Quirino’s visit, Ambassador Cowen was confined to bed suffering from a detached retina. Cowen departed from Manila by plane for the United States on October 28 in order to undergo urgent medical treatment. Counselor of Embassy Vinton Chapin assumed charge of the Embassy.
3. Of October 9, p. 1497.
4. A statement was issued to the press from Malacañan on October 26 repudiating the October 25 press statement referred to in footnote 1. The text of the press release of October 26 was sent to President Truman under cover of a short memorandum from the Secretary of State, dated November 2, not printed, which very briefly summarized some of the points made in the telegram printed here (896.00/11–250).