Dictatorish

Last week the Philippine legislature closed its session, futilely and insolently proud of having passed seven bills which Governor General Leonard Wood vetoed. It had annoyed him, no doubt, but after all his veto is final in the islands.

However, one wing of his executive power, the Board of Control, still remained clipped by hostile Filipinos. This Board is composed of the Governor General, the President of the Senate (Manuel Quezon), the Speaker of the House (Manuel Roxas). It controls and selects the directors of all government owned corporations: the Philippine National Bank, the Manila Railroad Co., the National Coal Co., etc. Governor General Wood, being the minority member of this Board, was unable to put his policies into effect; so last week, on the day of the adjournment of the legislature, he announced that henceforth all the duties and powers of the Board of Control were his alone. He had ready the opinions of Judge Advocate General Hull of the War Department* and Assistant U. S. Attorney General Donovan to back up his authority. Filipino politicos were taken by surprise, upset, displeased. Speaker Roxas said the action was "unfortunate."

Meanwhile, anti-Wood tongues in Manila worked out their wrath discussing who would probably be chosen as the Governor General's successor. Mentioned were W. Cameron Forbes, onetime (1909-13) Governor General, and Col. Carmi A. Thompson, personal representative of President Coolidge (TIME, April 12), now on his way to Washington with a bulbous report. It is known that Governor General Wood will leave Manila late in January to go to discuss the Philippines with President Coolidge, but there is scant reason to believe that he intends to resign. His health, which has been poor since an operation for hernia in September, may be a determining factor.

*The Philippines are under the control of the War Department.