Dwight Davis | Photo from Wikipedia
On July 8, 1929, former American Secretary of War Dwight Davis became the 9th United States governor-general of the Philippines. The new American president, Herbert Hoover, appointed him to the position.
Davis also served as the assistant secretary of war during the Calvin Coolidge administration. Like the previous American and Spanish governor-generals, Davis moved into Malacañang Palace along the Pasig River.
During the governor-general’s tenure from 1929 to 1932, the Filipinos continued to gain more political power and control of the colonial government. Governor-General Davis only had veto power over any Filipino-passed legislation. Davis, like some of his predecessors, cooperated with Filipino politicians. Governor-General Davis was respectful and open to a pathway to independence.
With the beginning of the Great Depression during the governor-general’s service, some American politicians wanted to grant Philippine Independence as soon as possible. They feared the duty-free imports of commodities like sugar from the Philippine Islands. Davis was objective regarding Philippine legislation that was circulating in the United States Senate and House.
During the early months of the governor-general’s tenure, the commander of the Philippine Department was General Douglas MacArthur. The Philippine Department controlled all the assets of the United States Army in the Philippines. There was a competition between Davis and MacArthur on who was the most-liked American among the elite and wealthy Filipinos. General MacArthur had a close friendship with Manuel Quezon. The balance was in favor of MacArthur.
General MacArthur had served two other times in the Philippines. Most recently, he had responsibility for the Military District of Manila. Also, his father, General Arthur MacArthur, was the last American military-governor of the Philippines.
Davis had an interesting background prior to his career in government and politics. He was a very competitive tennis player. He played at Wimbledon in 1901 and was a contender at the US Open. He represented his country as a tennis player during the Olympics. He has been given credit for the formation of the “Davis Cup” which was and is an international tennis tournament. Competitors represent their country. He provided the first trophy for the event.
Davis also had distinguished service in the US Army during the Great War or World War I. He rose in rank from an enlisted soldier to an officer. Following the war, he was a founder of the American Legion.
Dwight Davis died on Nov. 28, 1945, in Washington, D.C. He was only 66 years old.
Dennis Edward Flake is the author of three books on Philippine-American history. He is a Public Historian and a park ranger in interpretation for the National Park Service at the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg, PA. He can be contacted at: [email protected]
