Statement by the President on the Independence of the Philippines.

THE INDEPENDENCE achieved today by the Philippines comes after a period of forty-eight years of American sovereignty over the Islands. Throughout this period it has been the consistently expressed policy of this Government, as revealed in the instructions of President McKinley to the Philippine Commission, the Jones Law, and the Tydings-McDuffie Law, to prepare the people of the Philippines for independence. An ever increasing measure of self-government has been granted to the Filipino people as year after year they demonstrated their capacity for democratic self-government.

With independence the Republic of the Philippines is admittedly confronted with many difficult problems. Almost any new nation facing independence would be confronted with similar problems.

I am confident, however, that the Filipino people will meet the challenge of independence with courage and determination. The United States stands ready to assist the Philippines in every way possible during the years to come. Together, solutions will be found for the problems which the Philippines will encounter.

It is more than symbolic that our two countries should be jointly celebrating July 4 as Independence Day. It is my hope that each succeeding July 4 will constitute a milestone of progress along the path of mutual cooperation for the achievement of international understanding and well-being.