Herbert Adams Gibbons
In the early 1930s, Gibbons argued that an American withdrawal from the Philippines would be futile, because Japan would immediately colonize the country if the United States were to pull out. In 1931, in a speech in Manila, Gibbons referred to the Philippine calls for independence as "claptrap." He said that if the United States were to withdraw, then it might as well negotiate with the League of Nations to hand the Philippines over to Japan as a mandate. The American business community roundly praised Gibbons' speech. However, Philippine nationalist leaders attacked Gibbons, saying that he was raising the "Japanese bogy" as a hurdle to Philippine independence. (Ultimately, the United States did not grant Philippine independence until 1946, after Japan was no longer a military threat to the former colony.)
When the Elephants Dance
On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and the following morning attacked the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur of the United States retreated and declared Manila an open city. Japan continued to bomb the city and forced 70,000 Filipino and American troops on the Bataan Death March. The Japanese continued bombing until MacArthur surrendered on May 6, 1942 and retreated to Australia, thus leaving the Philippine people to fend for themselves. The Japanese arrived with propaganda that they were merely ending Western imperialism as they destroyed American books and burned American schools.
In October 1944, MacArthur returned to the Philippines with more troops and supplies. On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered, and the Philippines gained independence on July 4, 1946 with the Treaty of Manila between the United States and the Philippines.