The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-11
Our Indemnihcation.

Our Indemnification.
Information as to the SURPRISING po-
tential value of the Philippine islands
continues to accumulate. The last
issue of Harper's Weekly contained
perhaps the fullest exposition of this
subject which has appeared in recent
periodical literature, being from the
pen of Hon. John Barrett, lately
United States minister to Siam but
now with the American forces at
Manila. We would recommend that
Mr.. Barretts article be read in whole
as offering valuable aid to the forma-
ton of an intelligent judgment con-
cerning the question of the disposition
of these invaluable war trophies. But
for the benefit of those who have not
| access to Harpers Weekly we quote
below one or two of Mr.. Barretts more
interesting conclusions.
After noting that under Spain's re-
pressive sway the total annual COM
| merce of the Philippines has not av-
eraged more than $500 900, gold basis,
| Mr.. Barrett says: IF the United States
eventually governs the islands that
| amount will go up by strides and
bounds, until it passes the 5000 900, 900
| mark, or to point where America will
| be the chief gamer, followed by Great
| Britain. A richer isolated land or
group of islands, viewed comparatively
| as to area and population, variety of
| agricultural, mineral, and forest re-
| sources undeveloped. in addition to
| those already improved, cannot be
| pointed out on the map of the world
| But it is not only l that say this. Every
authority in the Far East that l have
consulted affirms this opinion or adds
| to its emphasis. There are not only
| gold and silver but iron and coal: not
only vast forests of ship and house
| building woods, but rarest qualities for
| furnishing, finishing, and ornamenting;
not only great areas given up to the
| cultivation of sugar, hemp, tobacco,
and coffee, but wider reaches of virgin
soil untouched, and waiting the hand
of the pioneer who is supported by an
| honest government"
| Elsewhere, in the course of a graphic
description of the city of Manila, this
writer says: "Were Manila perman-
emily in our possession, or that of some
| enterprising European power, it could
be made one of the most beautiful cit,
les of the world, as we'll as a splendid
commercial entrepot and great sea-
| port. It's location and climatic condi-
tions are favorable to all kinds of i'm
| provementS. Were the water and riv-
er-frontage used to best advantage,
new Wharves, quays or bunds con-
structed, the principal business streets
widened and new ones opened, boule-
wards and avenues leading to the su-
burbs, which are the residential Sec
ton, improved or extended, parks laid
out, the moats around the walled city
| cleaned of their accumulated filth, a
| sanitary system provided to supple
ment the water-w works already in op-
| Grafton, and natural opportunities for
a perfect harbor improved, Manila
would easily surpass Yokohama,
Shanghai, Saigon, and Singapore in at
tractveness, and become as much an
American capital in Asia as Calcutta
is a British metropolis. Likewise, We're
the main island of Luzon, and the les
ser ones of Palawan, Panay, Cebu,
Mindoro, and Mindanao. entirely ex-
plotted and developed, railways built,
communication with the distant inter-
ior established, and trade exchange be-
tween Manila and the multitude of
lesser points, like Iloio and Cebu, fos-
tered, there would a change come over
these islands, the Antilles of the Orient,
that would astonsh the world"
One the occasion of former visit to
the islands Mr.. Barrett made a list of
the natural resources that came under
his observation. OF woods, he says,
there are cedar sapan-wood iron
wood. bamboo, ebony, logwood, palma
bravo, gum, and a wonderful variety
of hard and soft woods. Cultivated or
growing wild are to be found hemp,
sugar-cane, tobacco. coffee, rice,
bananas, ginger, vanilla, cassia, pepper,
indigo, pineapples, cocoa, cacao, wheat,
maize, ramie. and cotton. as we'll as
tamarind, mangoes, durions, oranges
guavas, lines, citrons, jack-fruit, GUS
tard-apples, and all kinds of garden
products OF minerals. aside from gold
and silver, iron and coal, already noted,
there are copper, quicksilver, tin. an
timony, saltpetre, and sulphur. From
the sea come coral, tortoise-shell, am
ber, and pearl. Beds of marble and
deposits of gypsum are being worked
to a small degree Among the more
useful animals are the hardy ponies
| indisDensabla wafer huffaIOes swino
goats, cattle, and few sheep, with a
long list of wild fauna as varied as
} the flora. which is indeed marvellous
In both beauty and utility. Deer, Wild
boar. wild-duck, pheasants. snipe. pig
cons, wood-cock, afford sport all the
year roun". "The world at large
says Mr.. Barrett. has paid so little