A. D. Williams, back from a trip to Cebu with the President, says that Quezon never left the Mayon on which he had a severe attack of “flu,” and the doctors were afraid of pneumonia. He is now back at work, weak but much better. The rumours as to his illness which were published Saturday last in the Bulletin were utterly unfounded and mischievous. Williams states that the campaign against “graft” by Vicente Sotto, as published in La Union concerning the location of the proposed Cebu Capitol is entirely untrue; this land belongs to Osmeña but he has always “offered to donate it to the government.” For many years the plan has been approved by all concerned.
A. D. Williams is exercised over Quezon’s sending to the United States for architect William Parsons (Yale ’95) for town planning here without consulting him (Williams); thinks Parsons should not come during the rainy season. Quezon says Arellano’s municipal buildings etc. are too much like churches or theaters–(Arellano says ecclesiastical architecture suits and Philippines, and I rather agree with him).
The Government Survey Board is being mildly criticized in the Press: “the net result, thus far, has been an increase, rather than a decrease in the already top heavy government personnel” (editorial in Bulletin). If the Board is to be credited with an increase in the Bureau of Justice and in the Civil Service, there would be some appearance of reason in this criticism. So far as I know the Board had nothing to do with either! Yulo “put one over” in the Bureau of Justice matter (thinks Unson)! I personally do not disapprove of either increase, but it makes things more difficult when the Board comes to recommend reductions elsewhere!
Issue of Vicente Sotto’s paper La Union of July 1, 1936 contains the following alleged interview with Quezon: “Confio en que la independencia vendra dentro de quatro anos y debemos estar preparados: ?quien debe sustituirme?”–dijo Manuel L. Quezon en el curso de una entrevista con un representante de Union.” (Is this the same idea expressed publicly by Quezon some weeks ago: that he would rather have early independence than the economic sanctions of the Tydings-McDuffie Act?)