Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-10

millions of American capital Whicn are
likely to be begging for investment
hereafter should snap up It's oppOrtu-
nifty of supplying the mainland market
with island products. which could em-
brace agricultural and manufactured
products as well. Suppose that indus
tries should set up plants there, intro
duce the most modern machinery in
every field of production and take ad-
vantage of every device in organization
and management tending to economy
known to modern productive science.
what would become of the mainland
producer and all of the business inter-
ests of this country"
At least the situation is not without
interest. There are. however. some
facts the Commercial either has over
Importance to mention. No land will
produce five crops year at the cost Of
one crop a year. labor being the same
in efficiency and cost. But today labor
in Cuba and Porto Rico is not the same
or comparable with that in this coun-
try. 1t is said that a lazy American
will do as much work as half a dozen
Cubans. OF course American labor
can be taken to Cuba, but what will be
the effect of the climate on it's produc-
ing capacity? No way has yet been
discovered for securing and maintain
ing the same labor efficiency in a trop-
ical as in temperate climate. The ten
dency to Incidence can be overcome 10
some degree by frequent importations
of energy, but from what We now
know, only in degree.
We really doubt from what we can
learn of the situation whether open
market with those islands would be
such calamity as the Commercial
thinks. but there is enough room for
speculation to warrant the most care
full and conservative action with re-
spect to all such possible trade rela-
tons. The same caution will not come
amss, likewise, in considering our at
titude toward the problems likely 10
arise concerning the spheres of in
fluence now being cultivated in China,
for the fact remains that our American
consumer is of greater value to the
producer than a dozen of the Asiatics.
The dog who dropped his meat in the
stream while trying to grab the shad-
ow of meat reflected from the water
has been immortalized in fable. but
the nation that would do such a thing,
despite high order of intelligence and
repeated warning. would fare worse.
The story of the camel which was per-
mitted to shelter his head in his mas
ter's tent and ended by occupying it is
of Oriental origin and it may yet have
an application to Oriental questions.
The Powers now thrusting their noses
into the vast territory of China expect
ing to occupy it may find that they
have established closer neighborly re-
lations with the willy Celestial than will
always prove agreeable. Once give
those people, slow to change their hab-
it's and accustomed to thrive on what
an Anglo-Saxon would starve, an OPP
portunity to do the work now being
done by the latter, for considerably less
than is now paid. and we shall prob
ably discover that the consuming ca
pacity of the Anglo-Saxon has been
lowered in greater degree than that of
the Chinaman has been enhanced. Our
exports have wonderfully increased
under the care that has protected the
home market but it will not do to as
sumo that the time for neglecting 1t
for the foreign has yet arrived.
With respect to the probable atti-
tude Of the administration regarding
any divergence. from the policy Of
protecting American labor and indus
tries mo one familiarwith Mr.. McKin.
leys record would scarcely be appre-
hensive; nevertheless. it is well to re-
call these words he uttered on his re-
cent visit to Boston:
I'VE have quit discussing the tariff
and have turned our attention to get
ting trade wherever it can be found.
1t will be a long time before any
change can be had or any change de-
sired in our fiscal policy. except to
strengthen it,
China's discOurtesy toward Italy de-
serves the most condign punishment