MOTHER AMERICA

The tremendous popularity of I Saw the Fall of the Philippines, enhanced by Romulo's personal success as a lecturer, will give impetus to this almost too laudatory tribute to the policy followed out by the United States in relation to the Philippines. However, the book will have timely value in view of the problem of the postwar procedure related to the Pacific area, for the evidence of an Oriental, reporting on other Orientals, carries weight that no comparable job done by a Westerner could have. Romulo, on the eve of war, visited the countries of the Malay peninsula, Burma, Thailand, French Indo-China, India, Dutch possessions and French and British -- and everywhere he found seething discontent with colonial administrators. Interesting parallels with the finding of Panikkar (see P. 415), confirming them in the main , but more critical of the shortcomings of the empire builders, and reaching different conclusions as to the post-war status. Romulo recommends the application of the Atlantic Charter, following an interim period of preparation along the lines of the U.S.A. preparation of the Philippines for independence. (Secretary Hull made the same recommendation in his speech of September 12th.) An easy style, a contagious enthusiasm, makes this book -- which might otherwise be rather staid reading -- pleasant and interesting. The appendix gives the two stages of the Philippine Constitution in full.