Saw Quezon on behalf of Agra, Justice of the Peace of Pila, at the instance of General Cailles. Ten a.m. and Quezon was still in his pyjamas, for which he apologized. He was apparently about to breakfast, after a golf game. He opened the question immediately, instead of the usual preliminary moves, by asking me what my mission was. Seemed very much perplexed by the problem of the Justice of the Peace of Pila, and said it was involved in that of San Pablo. After a pause and a search for the proper words, he indicated that Agra might be appointed after all. Sent for Yulo (who had just left) but couldn’t get him. Said his five days of concentration upon the complete slate for Justices of the Peace for the whole country had been about the most disagreeable and exhausting bit of work of his life. That for some days afterwards, he had forbidden anyone to mention the subject to him. That Agra had prejudiced his own cause by hanging around Malacañan all the time “as if he had no confidence in himself.”
Then told him I would like to see the gold plate dedicated on November 15, the first anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth, on which the names of those who had been most responsible for the creation of a Commonwealth, Americans and Filipinos were inscribed. I said I had not attended because my name (one of the three Governors General) was on the plaque, and I would have felt like a statue, loose from its pedestal. That, however, I had regretted the omission of the name of the man who was chiefly entitled to record on the plaque! He said he had opposed the inclusion of his own name because the committee had consulted him; “but,” he added “the surprising thing is that my wife and daughter advised me against having my name included.” Next I asked him why the name of Theodore Roosevelt was included with that of McKinley, Wilson & Franklin Roosevelt. He answered: “Because he signed the first organic act of the new Philippines.” “Nevertheless” I replied “he was more opposed to this sort of thing than any of them–remember when he advised the English in Egypt to ‘govern or get out’?” “Yes,” he answered “and how impertinent that was; and was characteristic also of his attitude towards the Philippines under the Jones Act.” He then went on to denounce the committee which had originally prepared the list of names to be inscribed even including that of Governor General Wood!–a name which he (Quezon) had indignantly struck off.
As I left, he started to say something about two beautiful girls, and I called from the door-way: “Glad to see, Mr. President that you do not neglect the artistic side of public life”–he replied “When I neglect art, I shall be taken to the cemetery.”