Yeah,
it was my privilege to attend a special session of the first Congress of
the Philippines in Manila, during which the Congress was addressed by
General Douglas Macarthur for absolute devotion. I have never witnessed a
more stirring demonstration on the part of the people nor have I ever
heard a more eloquent tribute and challenged to a people than was given by
General Macarthur. Thanks to the cooperation of the public relations
office at General headquarters in Manila, I was able to acquire a
transcription of the general's address which you will hear in just a
moment first. Let me give you something of the atmosphere of the occasion.
It was a sunday morning, typical of the better days in this part of the
Philippine world. Four blocks along the approach to the Congress building
, the streets were lined with idolizing citizens, eager for even a glimpse
of their greatest hero. Inside the halls of the Congress building, every
possible standing room spot was occupied by men and women whose faces
showed an almost unbelievable anticipation. At the appointed hour, the
president of the Congress dispatched an official committee to escort the
guest of honor to the congressional chambers. The tension increased. There
was a shuffling for better points advantage every I being glued to the
doorway through which the general was to enter. Yes, I shared some measure
of that excitement for after all, I was about to see for the first time in
person, one of the most celebrated personalities, the world has ever known.
His entrance into the circle of our stairs was tremendously impressive.
The general is rather a tall man and as he stepped through the doorway, he
was immediately in command of the situation with an easy grace. He nodded
to the members of his military staff and accepted with a broad smile the
tremendous ovation of the expectant crowd, cameras clicked and ground out
the general's approach to the stand and the brief personal acknowledgement
that preceded the seeding of the official party. Almost immediately there
began one of the most inspired routines of introduction I have ever heard
in my life. The filipino has a genius for words and a spiritual zeal that
rose to its greatest heights. In the presentation of the speaker on this
unforgettable occasion, an odd stillness held every face in nothing short
of a trance. As the speaker of the House began this day, shall stand out
with the sacred halo in the history of our nation. We pause on this
occasion to pay homage to one of the most distinguished men of all time.
The peerless military genius whose pledge of ultimate redemption sustained
the Filipino people through their darkest hour. The military statesmen
whose sagacity and wisdom have made his spectacular campaigns more than
military exploits. The soldier whose courage cannot be daunted by fire and
steel, The apostle of Light, whose gallant forces have restored the
country. He has made his home to peace and freedom. General Douglas
Macarthur.
Mhm
Gentlemen of the Congress of the Philippines. Mm hmm It is called or
profound satisfaction.
See this legislative body
instrument of democratic expression
restored to the people.
You convene at a time
when we are still locked in mortal kombat
with an enemy. Yeah. Who vigorously seeks to exploit racial prejudice and
to suppress human freedom as the ideology of mankind
since the beginning of time.
Then
have crusaded for freedom
and for equality.
Yeah, it was this passion for liberty
which inspired the architects of my own government,
coupal claimed
so immutable. E I'm so beautifully
that all men are created a
and that they are endowed by their creator
with certain inalienable right
that among these life liberty. I'm looking through that
on such rights, arrest our basic concept of human freedom, the defense of
which we have four and still continue to fight on the battlefields of the
world.
These right
all the Guy antipasti
to the totalitarian doctrine
which seeks to regiment the people and control the human will as the price
or presumed efficiency in government.
The recent collapse
of one people after another, dedicated to this totalitarian theory of
government offers complete and eloquent proof
that the enduring strength of a body politics arising from the degree of
freedom accorded its individual members not from any seeming efficiency
gained the sacrifice. Also last Freedom
for whose you therefore
to thank God these sacred rights
no less zealously in peace.
Then you have defended them in war.
You convene at a time
when you are soon to realize
your long
political independence
prior to the start of hostilities in the present war.
Those who oppose your independence, it's so on the ground,
that's you get black the stature as a race essential to self government.
That you lack the economic stability to sustain self government
and that you lack the resources essential to defend a self government.
Always contention
are untalented.
Yours is a culture
which For 400 years
has progressively become a blend between the culture of the east and the
culture of the West with resulting racial character influence. Why the
rest of the
your combat record on Bataan,
the magnificent spiritual and physical resistance of the great masses of
your people to the enemy. Efforts at classification
have given to the world the true measure of the strength of your character
and established,
you're undisputed
spiritual capacity for self government
under any standard.
That strength of character
has been manifested time and again
when your people were brought under the extreme tests of enemy brutality
and otherwise subjected to the horrors of war.
During the battle for Manila,
I have seen mother anguished soul for their dead Children.
I have seen fathers
rest of all who may held dear and with all material possessions gone,
I have seen a continuous line of refugees from South Manila throwaway
touching north over the pontoon bridge on the passing without food for her
or shelter and knowing not whether to go in search of sanctuary,
but through the stark terror and tragedy of it all.
There is one thing I have never heard one thing I have never seen. I have
never heard a whimper. I have never seen a tear.
It is just that courage and I wanted to and resiliency of your people,
permitted this city of Manila. The wise problem in the february last
without starving without food, riots or other disorder and without
epidemic. Yeah, was exemplified the strength of the filipino character.
The height of your stature at a race. Adequate answer to those who would
question your spiritual capacity for self government.
Those who would say
that the economy of the country will not sustain a free and independent
nation
would appear to anticipate arbitrary tariff barriers to drastically
restrict or eliminate your trade with the United States.
I am pull a con that the american people, we'll extend you the full
measure of trade advocated by your late great President Manuel Caison, and
do everything else within their power to assist you along the road to your
nationals just
Mhm.
Prior to this great war.
Okay, the question of national defense offered the most serious obstacle
to the reality of your political independence,
altered world conditions resulting from the war.
Have removed this up defense. It is no longer not. It has become
international
no nation. However, power may in the future with safety, rely exclusively
upon its own defense potentiality, but must resort to international
defense in consort with other nations. This does not mean that you may,
with impunity, failed to take such defensive dispositions as all
reasonably within your power, what I want to. That, in addition to such
disposition, you must bring yourself into such international alignment
that offers best hope for the preservation of future peace in the pacific
basin.