The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-06-11
Coz q / Colonial POLICY.
PROM tie Oakland zeal. ) Eneuirer. ]

CO.. g : Colonial Policy.
lFrom The Oakland (Cal } Enquirer.
Something which most persons
have not thought of in connection
with ac0fUnial policy for the United
States ise the cost Of it. Il may
seem that the colonies of Spain. i
we decide to take them as . result
of the war, will have been cheaply
acquired, and yet, according to the
computations of the Senate Finance
Committee, this war, if it lasts a
year, will have cost $3.50, 900 900.
Not long ago some New York 6nan.
ciers. who had q scheme 70 wind up
the Cuban troubles by buying the
islands, made calculation as to its
value and decided that $500, OOO, 600
was approximately its worth. A
years war, therefore, will cost the
value of Cuba and leave$18O, OOO, GOO
over, which may be set off against
the worth of Porto Rico and the
Philippines. Of course we are IN
der pledge not to take Cuba and to
leave it to its inhabitants, but in the
above calculations we are assuming
that ultimately Cuba will come to
the United States by the voluntary
act Of it's people, if they wish to
take it. 3
But this is only part of the story.
1.-THE three important colonies cost
us, in the first instance, as much as
they are worth, it is still more true
shat the retention of them will cost a
good deal more than they are worth.
This statement is based on the as
sumption, which is not likely to be
disputed, that as soon as the United
States goes into the colony business,
it must calculate upon keeping an
army and navy which will be in
proportion to those of most mill
tary powers. Say that the army is
to be maintained at 10000 men,
what would that cost? We cannot
say exactly, but We can estimate.
II it costs from $50, 200, 900 to $4O,-
100000 year to maintain an army
of 81 900 men--as it does-an army
of 100000 men would cost $780,
100000 annually. We also spend
about $50, 000, 900 on our navy, as
it has been in the past, and it would
not be an extravagant estimate to
say that, on the large scale which
would be necessary, if we should go
into colonial policy, 500, GOO, 900
for naval purposes also would be
within the mark. That is to saw,
army and navy together would cost
$200,OOO,O00 a year instead of $780,
100000 or $40, 900, 900 as at present.
This would be a very large in
crease in the national expenditures
and the increased industrial advan-
tages to, the country would not off
set it, because most of the trade of
the Spanish colonies. particularly
Cuba, the United States already
possesses. Then again, there is to
be considered the loss of revenue.
The largest single item in the rev.
enues of the United States consists
in the duties on raw sugar import
ed. In times past Cuba has been
the greatest exporter of sugar to
the United States, though the Phil
ippines also are capable of produc-
ing vast quantities of that product.
If their raw sugar should come in
free,r there would probably be no
import from other countries; so we
may say that $5O,OOO,OOO in duties
on sugar would be cut off by the
annexation of these islands. Add
this to the increase of expenses,
and it may be seen that a colonial
policy would precipitate upon the
country first class financial prob.
lem.
Other countries, notably Germany
and France, have found colonies to
be very expensive Injuries; but
those countries already have their
great armies and France has great
navy, while Germany is going to
have one. They maintain arma-
ments primarily for other reasons
and the cost of their colonies has
been due to the expense of prose.
cutting campaigns of conquest or
carrying on administrations or
sending out colonists at public ex-
pense. But with the United States
the colonies would be the direct
cause of the military and naval
expenditures, and, therefore, colo
NAL system would be more expen-
GIVE to the United States than to
any other nation.
Woman'a Protest,
This is sad time for u.s." said
the wife of prominent naval off,
Ger to New York Tribune reporter.