"¦¦f fc.fi IS ' 8 To? m New York Timea, April 2, 1940 FILIPINOS SEEKING CONCESSIONS HERE Quezon Is Expected to Urge Revision of Independence to Permit Trade Treaties Wiwlew to Tub Nsw yowc Timzs, MANILA, April 1-With the Phil- ippines Civic League taking the initiative, a movement for re- examination and possible revision of the Tydings-McDuffie Inde- pendence Act is growing here. Manuel Quezon, President of the Commonwealth, is believed to-be preparing the ground to seek new concessions from Washington in the direction of increased Philip- pine autonomy, particularly & change in the law to permit the Filipinos to consummate trade treaties with other nations. His thrice-repeated statement that independence in 1946 was the only proper course, because the United State would not accept the mini- mum requirements of Filipinos for continued relations, is construed as a broad hint to Congress that he is formulating proposals. He broached the subject to the Assembly in January, elaborated on it In a talk to students last week and took it up again Saturday night in addressing the Law School of the University of the Philippines. On the third occasion the Presi- dent said that he was not opposed to re-oxaminatlon in theory but only In practice, because he did not be- lieve that Washington would accept the only terms upon which the Philippines would forego independ- ence in 1946, namely, absolute free- dom In economic equality with the United States. He said that those who favored re-examination to afford the Philip- pines protection while danger ex- isted were impractical because, if re-examination were had, the Phil- ippines might continue their de- pendence upon the United States and could not break away later when danger was no longer pres- ent. He conceded that it was possible for an outside power to conquer the Philippines, but he expressed confidence that ultimately the Fili- pinos could throw off a foreign yoke. And he predicted that they might be able to defend themselves with their own army twenty-five years hence. In an editorial commenting on the situation, The Manila Daily Bulletin says: "In view of the trip to Washing- ton that Mr. Quezon is planning this Summer, it would be advantageous to him to know in advance of reach- ing the capital the reaction of Con- gressmen to the proposal to give the Commonwealth power to conclude commercial treaties." Speaking for the re-examination- ists. Assemblyman Jose Romero, a leader of the Civic League, says: "There are those who feel thai the President is being a little too pessimistic and who note that re- sponsible leaders in America, like Senator Key Pittman and former High Commissioner Paul V. Mc- Nutt, have stated that American- Philippine relations could be redis- cussed. "But it is now up to our friends in America to convince the Ameri- can people of the plausibility of the new arrangement upon the basis set forth by Mr. Quezon." Salvador Araneta, another league loader, says: "Re-examination simply means a restudy, and if there is a man who has kept himself restudylng the question it is President Quezon him- self."