David Thomas: “in the last few months, developments have indicated to me that the White House is seriously contemplating returning one…”

“in the last few months, developments have indicated to me that the White House is seriously contemplating returning one or both of the bells to the Philippines. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris, and a state visit by President Fidel Valdes Ramos--his last as President--to the United States has been planned for this month. The disposition of the bells has been high on President Ramos' agenda; he has spoken personally to President Clinton and several members of Congress about it over the last three years, and has indicated he will do so on this visit. Since January, the Filipino press has included almost weekly articles on the bells' supposed return, including one in the Manila Times last week which reported that a new tower to house the bells is being constructed in Borongon, Samar, to receive them in May. In addition, inquiries to me from various agencies of the Administration soliciting the opinion of the Wyoming congressional delegation on the issue have increased in frequency. I have also learned that the Defense Department, perhaps in conjunction with the Justice Department, has recently prepared a legal memorandum outlining its opinion of who actually controls the disposition of the bells. In response to this apparent groundswell, the Wyoming congressional delegation wrote a letter to President Clinton on January 9 of this year to make clear our opposition to removing the bells.”