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68T CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES oir
lst Session No. 709
TO ENABLE THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 1DOP%
A CONSTITUTION AND FORM A GOVERNMENT FOR T IL-
IPPINE ISLANDS AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE FUTURE POL
STATUS OF THE SAME
MAY 10, 1924.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state
of the Union and ordered to be printed
Mr. FAIRFIELD, from the Committee on Insular Affairs, submitted'
the following
REPORT
[To accompany H. R. 8856]
The Committee on Insular Affairs, after exhaustive hearings and
close study of all bills introduced and considered, has ordered H. R.
8856 reported favorably with certain amendments.
So important did the committee deem legislation upon the subject
of the Philippine Islands that the matter challenged the most
thoughtful and considerate action.
It might be well to have in definite form some statement as to how
far we have come on the road on which we bave started since we have
taken over the Philippines. This legislation has to do with an area
of 115,000 square miles, an archipelago of 7,083 islands. The
distance from north to south is 1,152 miles and from east to west
682 miles. Many of these islands are, of course, of inconsiderable
size, but a number of them are as large as some of the States in the
Union.
Legislating for such an area of the world's surface in any part of the
world would carry with it the gravest consideration of all the problems
involved. Included in this area is a population of slightly in excess
of 11,000,000 people. Fifty per cent of the population above the
age of 10 years are illiterate. One million and a half in round numbers
are able to speak one language, English. Eight hundred thousand in
round numbers are able to speak Spanish. There are 9,000,000
people who speak 87 dialects.
Unity of language is essential to national security. In the last
quarter of a century, through the efforts of the United States in
upbuilding the schools, a greater nuniber of people in the islands
speak the same language than in 300 years of Spanish rule. But
the task is yet unfinished. It would seem that at least another
quarter of a century would be necessary to make the people able to
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