The record-union., 1899-10-29
A SOLDIER ON THE PHILIPPINES

General Frederick Funston before the
men League in Oakland the other ev-
enlng gave his views concerning the
philippines. Clearly he speaks the
truth. The address throughout bears
the impress of verify. 1t was modestly
put put strongly. and made a deep
impression upon the vast throng gath i.
cred to hear him. His estimate is that
the hardwood product of Luzon alone is
worth $150,00000O. Not that he would
put life and the cost of war against tie
cold figures Of gain; but here is a
land that is nghtfully ours, lawfully
acquired from the only sovereignty
known upon it. 1t would be folly then
to cast aside such treasure. He con-
cedes that it is not desirable for the
white man to work in the bitches and
dikes in that section. But the labor
question takes care Of itself there, and
there is no reason why we should not
give it better development and man
age it.
80 - 0AiSlOAA dI0 IIOt say as mucn.
but the whole thought of his address
reflected that idea. He did say. how
ever that after paying Spain $4,000. :
UOO and standing the loss of one or Two
hundred millions more that the insur-
rection will cost us, ''our Government
will have the biggest Klondike any ma
ton has ever had He added with dry
humor and some wit:
Gold, coal, lead and sulphur are found
III All Inc islands. The gold ore is low
grade-from S4 to $50 per ton-but
there are enormous quantities of it. On
the great island Of Mindanao there is
more timber than there is on Palawan-
the island is six or seven times as big
NOT one-half of one per cent. of the
soil is cultivated 1t may be asked
why, II the islands are so rich. thew
nave not been developed? Why did not
the Spaniards take the gold and the
coal and the timber? This is a question
winch it is natural to ask unless Won
Know the inherent cussedness (excuse
the term) of Spanish rule. Their way
OF taxing every enterprise to death and
the corruption which has ALWAYS mark
ed their Government, made it of no use
TO develop anything. I can only de-
scribe the Philippines as the largest
body of undeveIoped rich country in tha
world to-day.
lie described the Rio Grande VaIIav
landscape as resembling sweep of
rich country in Illinois, unless YOU get
so near to the bamboo that you can see
II is not cottonwood; when you discover
the rice field dikes the resemblance dis
appears entirely. The soil, he saws is
the richest on earth. It has been farm
ed in parts for 200 years and never
Dit OF fertilizer has been necessary. and
le stil produces enormous crops. But
the area which is cultivated and culti-
Vatable is but a drop in the bucket
compared with the land covered py
hardwood timber.
He gives the total area of the islands
as 114,000 square miles, and added:
There are not 1900 islands though
as some persons assert-not unless Won
count barren rocks and sand pits: there
are two big islands, half a dozen of the
second size, and fifteen or twenty which
contain each from 100 to 300 square
miles Luzon, the only island which
the speaker saw. is quite mountainous;
one-fourth of it consists of level land
IN the valley of the Rio Grande, and
upon this three-fourths of the products
OF the country are raised; it is up this
valley that General Macarthur has
Deen advancing. while Generals Ander-
son and Lawton have. been operating in
the mountainous region TO the south.
When General Funston gets back to
the fair West whence he came, he will
be likely to disabuse the minds of some
people of the idea that we have no use
for the Philippines and no clear title to
them.