The record-union., 1899-09-26
NEED OF RAILWAYS.

At the present time in the Philippines
there are only $50 miles of railroad.
According to the best experts, there is
room for 1000 to 1,500 miles of con-
struction, with an investment of $50
100000, with all that accompanies ex-
ploitation Manila is as centrally To-.
Gated as any of the cities of the ORR
ent, and should become. under our di-
rection, a competitor with Hongkong,
Singapore and Shanghai. 1t may not
take their trade away, but it will de-
velop as they have done. 1t is remark
able that every foreign authority who
has travelled extensively through the
Philippines agree that they have splen-
did resources and opportunities for de-
velopment.
We must not be misled by the opin-
ions of men and soldiers whose obser-
vations have been limited to Manila
and the neighboring sections, which
they have seen only under the most
disagreeable and unfavorable circum-
stances.
HONGKONG, SINGAPORE AND
MANILA
And right here let us in passing re-
member what are the immense aggre-
gates for Hongkong and Singapore, be-
cause, as never before, with their prox.
unity to Manila, they appeal to us with
practical meaning, and should be
borne in mind by those who declare
that even materially we have every
thing to lose and nothing to gain in
the Philippines. The commerce of these
two ports, neighbors to Manila, re-
spectively only GAO and 1,200 miles dis
tant, and no nearer to all the chief
points of the Far East within a radius
of / 500 miles, or between Yokohama
in the north and Port Darwin, in Aus
tralia, in the south, amounted in 1891
to S43O,000000 gold, of which Hong
kong had $250,0O0,000 and Singapore
$1S0, 100000. Now, while Manila cannot
expect to surpass these cities and may
require long years to- become a vigorous
rival, her acknowledged commercial
and strategical position on the South
China Sea, commanding the great
southern approaches to Asiatic trade.
and as the capital of one of the rich
est, undeveloped groups of islands in
the world, enables us with all conser-
vatism to believe that she may in the
near future have a business of $780,
10000 and when once she is fairly in
the running with her neighbors, under
American impetus and training, reach
out and control $15O,000, 600 to $500,
000,0 600.
Are not these the kind of figures
which should make US think twice be-
fore shirlxing our responsibility? Shall
we, in the face of them, retreat and
leave the prizes to others, or shall we
advance and win our reasonable share?
While / would cast no reflections on the
honest opinions of men who, in possi-
bly, patriotic Interpretation of Senti-
ment, oppose our policy of expansion in
the Far East, / would beg to suggest
that in this instance expansion is a
synonym for commerce-and commerce
is the life blood of nations.
The figures / have given you. are
merely totals. Had we the time
could give the specific divisions that
make up the totals I am prepared.
from long study, investigation and ac-
cumulation of data, to support my con-
tentionS. / may not be infallible in
my opinions and conclusions. I do not
claim to be, and no man respects more
than / the reviews of others-but, in
matters of fact, / have every reason
to believe that / have not been de-
ceived.
ASIATIC MARKETS.
In considering Asiatic markets for