UPON the ending of hostilities in Europe in 1918, the final adjustment of the question of Philippine independence became the topic of political discussion in the Philippines. It was thought that the time had come, now that the United States had ended its war with Germany, to take up the Philippine problem for final and definite solution. two political parties in the Philippines, while both in favor of immediate independence, offered two distinct plans for the solution of the Philippine problem. Democrata, or opposition party, would take up the question directly at the Peace Conference. Nacionalista, or majority party, however, was in favor of submitting the question first to the government of the United States; and with this end in view, on November 7, 1918, it secured the passage in the legislature of a concurrent resolution creating a Commission of Independence, the purpose of which was to consider and report to the legislature on the ways and means of negotiating the independence of the Philippines, the external guarantees of that independence, and the organization of a constitutional and democratic internal government. majority party was opposed to the plan of taking the question directly to the Peace Conference, because, inasmuch as the United States had given the formal pledge of independence to the Filipinos, it naturally supposed that the first logical step was to urge the United States to fulfill its promise, and that to disregard the United States at that time would have meant not only a discourtesy to the American Government, but a lack of faith in the solemn pledge of the American people. This view prevailed, and on March 17, 1919, the Philippine legislature passed what is known as The Declaration of Purposes, which officially states the attitude of the Filipino people on this vital problem.