Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-20
prnsprRrrr trrrR WE.

There are people who believed that
war would give the country a high
measure u prosperity. Men in congress
declared that a VAR with Spain would
arouse tie latent energies 81 our PEG
pie and stimulate the spirit Of enter
prise. II would, they affirmed. revive
industries. give a stimulus TO business
and bring improvement in our material
conditions generally. II is needless to
say that nothing Of the Kind has been
realized. A few industries have been
helped 10y the war. but there j. no evi.
dence that fighting Spain has been help.
full TO the business OF the country gen.
orally. On the other hand it does not
appear that the war has thus far been
particularly hurtful to business and 1t
has reached a stage which warrants the
opinion that it will not be. however pro
tracted. We noted a short time ago
the statement that in the east a con-
siderable amount Of capital is waiting
for the opportunity for investment in
the new FIELDS our ~conquests Of territory
are expected To open 10 il. but 50 abun-
dani is the supply of capital that this
has perhaps not unfavorably affected
home enterprise. The fact that the sub.
seriptions 10 the war loan are nearly
seven times the amount called for shows
how great is the supply OF capital in
excess Of the demands Of business. The
additional taxes would ordinarily be ex-
pected TO have an unfayorabie influence
upon business. but there has been no
manifestation OF this.
II is reasonably thought that peace
will usher in an era Of Prosperity for the
United States. Ii is easy to take an
exaggerated view of the possibilities.
but some things can be counted upon
with a good degree of certainty. The
p~acihcation OF Cuba will assuredly re-
store 10 US the large commerce we for
merly had with that island and undoubt-
eddy greatly Increase it. A held will be
opened there for the investment of a
large amount Of American capital in the
development Of the island, which is
likely TO 90 forward with great yigOr.
Cuba is capable of sustaining a popula-
ton several times larger than it has ever
had and this country should and prob
ably will have nearly the entire trade Of
the island. Porto Rico will also be a
good field for American enterprise and
undoubtedly the United States will have
a considerable trade there when it shall
have passed out Of Spanish control. 1t
is to be expected that American com
moro with tho far ea st will ha largely
increased. whether We hold the Philip
pines permanently or not. The prestige
which the United States has gained in
that quarter Of the world cannot fail 10
operate favorably upon American com.
merce there.
How eager American capital and en-.
terprise are to seize the opportunities
promised is illustrated in the statement
that proposals for the organization of ma
tional banks in Honolulu. Porto Rico
Manila and even Havana have been
submitted TO the comptroller of the cur
rency, while merchants are ready Il
ship goods TO Santiago as soon as tht
government officially raises the blockade
and will grant vessels proper clearanc;
papers for that port. These are the in
dicatiOns of what will take place imne
diately upon the restoration Of peace
I American capital and American
: products will flow out to these new
fields, greatly augmenting Il com
merce. 1t is in this that We shall mt
X. compensation for the war.