Phillipines Come of Age C

The National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated stations present the Pacific Story. This is the story of the Pacific and the millions of people who live around this greatest sea. The drama of the people whose destiny is at stake in the Pacific War.

This is the background of the war on the Pacific and its meaning to us and to the generations to come. Tonight's Pacific Story, the Philippines' come of age, comes to you from Hollywood and Washington, DC as another public service with drama the past and present and commentary by the honorable Melody Tidings, Senator of the State of Maryland and Chairman of the

Philippine Rehabilitation Commission. The Philippines come of age. Long Filipino stands a dawn among the shattered and blackened ruins of Manila. A solitary silhouette against the tangled destruction. The last echo of firing has died. Out of this will rise our new nation. The Filipino people still

bleeding and still suffering stand on the threshold of independence but with the realization of this long sought independence comes a weller of problems. We have waited more than 300 years for our independence. This is one. The Titans McDuffie Act promised us our independence on July 4th 1946. One is the average Filipino.

And last year, the American Congress promised us our independence before 1946. The President of the United States is hereby authorized after the normal functions of government have been restored and after consultation with the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines to advance the date of the independence of the Philippine Islands by proclaiming their independence as a separate and self-governing nation prior to July 4th,

1946. Today as the battles go on to redeem the Philippines, and the day approaches when the Filipinos will take over their own government, the problems of this new nation are coming more sharply into focus.