Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-09
VALUE OF THE PHILIPPINES
An Interesting Lecture Before the National
Geographic Society.
Mr.. John Barrett, Late United Slater
Minister to Siam, Speaks of Our
New Possessions.

Mr.. John Barrett, late United States min
lister to Siam, delivered lecture before the
National Geographic Society at the Con-
gregational Church last evening upon the
philippines and the Far East" He was
listened to with great interest. In part Mr..
Barrett said:
This discussion of the Philippines and the
far east under the distinguished auspices
of the National Geographic Society will
contain no effort at rhetoric or oratory.
1t will be a plain statement of facts or
truths. The conclusions will be based on
personal study and not on hearsay and
secondhand report. Although the moral
SIDE of the problems before us in the orient
are not to be minin1ized. my treatment OF
the subject tonight will be largely confined
to the material value of our new posses
sions and of our opportunities there and in
nelghboring Asiatic lands.
During hVe years residence In the 1ar
east, four of which it was my honor to be
your minister to Siam-not far from the
Phiippnes-it was aIso my privilege and
pleasure to visit not only the interior OF
SIAM which today is making more progress
than any other AS-atlc land except Japan,
but also China, Corea, Siberia and Japan
on the north and Burmah, Malay PENN
sula, Cambodia, Java, Borneo and the Phli-
ippines in the south. Everywhere l went
wi,h the one idea of learning what oppor-
tunitieS there were for the extension OF
American trade and influence.
Having been first to the Philippines Tor
an extended trip through them, some years
ago in times of peace, and again later IN
times of war and insurrecuon, from May,
1898, to April, 1889, or for nearly year, L
hope | may be able to bring forward few
facts that will be of interest.
Importance of Manila's Location.
First, l would emphasize the great and
even remarkable geographical, commercial
and strategical Importance of the location
of the Philippines. Only those VINO nave
repeatedly travelled up and down that mag
nificent Asiatic coast line can fully appfe-
ciate the strength and meaning OF the
Philippines situation. From Melbourne III
Australia to Vladivostok in eastern S1pe-
ria Is a coast line only broken by marrow
STRAITS but everywhere indented with deep
harDors, of over 500 miles, upon Whlch de-
bouch oUU,UOU.UuO people, with iofeish
trade-yet in its 1ntancy-that aIeaoy
amounts to 81 ,UuOUOU,UOo per annum. hshl
in me very ideal center OF all this is Mania,
our new oriental capital, Wncn unuer the
depressing, mysterious, jealous conui.iole
of the old regime never aWoke 10 ltS M
portance nor did the rest OF the WORTH, NO.
even Hong Kong, its near nelghbor, only
$50 miles away, which has an annual lor-
eign trade reaching the astounding hsuie7
OF S2J0,ta,oO0o. .,
So vital is Manla's value to us in this
point of location and yet so generally lor,
gotten in all the discussions OF the moran
issues involved that l wish TO call atten-
ton to it in exact terms that may pe re- e.
membered If a circle with radius OF
. O,O miles is drawn with Manila as the
center, it will include more ports and clties
of prominence than any other similar CIR
Gle drawn around SlnSapoie' aohS iNoiie
or Shanghai. -, 49,.
Moreover. this Manila circle will take
within its boundaries two such widely sep
arated points as 1okohama IN Japan any ~
in
will include Bangkok the popuious capltai
of Siam. and Rangoon, the growing capitai
of Burmah. To the southwest IS BATAVIA
the capital OF Java, ana d great butch CITY
in the tropics. a.,
lust across the China sea is Saigon, the
beautiful capital of France in Asia, and a
veritable Paris in the orient.
Port for All Ships.
MauiIa's harbor opening on the China sea
| is soon to become the stopping point OF
numberless foreign vessels, simply because
it is practically in their path. and they
have everything to gain by making it
port Of call The great fleet of merchant
and mail steamers that crowd through the
Suez canal, past Singapore to and from Eu-
rope and China, sails within hail up and
down this China sea of Manila and must
soon stop there. Some lines have already
commenced to do so. The increasing feet
that plies between China ard Australia has
suddenly discovered that Manila is right
| in its path and nearly all Australian YES
| sells stop there.
The lines that cross the Pacific starting
| from our own shores and making Hong
Kong their terminus are planning to utilize
! Manila as their ASiatic terminal, or at
least put new and faster vessels to con-
meet Hong Kong and Manila. All the prin-
| cipal steamship lines that run from Europe,
or America, British, German, French, Aus
! trian, japanese and American. are shaping
| their plans for the future with reference
| to making Manila a port of call or estab-
fishing better connections. OF this am