The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-27

The guest of the evening was then intro
| duced. He was loudly greeted. In the
course of his address Senator Frye
advocated the construction of the Mica
reguan canal. He said: 1T would bring us
one days sail nearer Shanghai than Liver
pool will be; on the average. a thousand
miles nearer all the northern ports Of China,
where We now look for an export trade and
shall hereafter; 1900 miles nearer Yokoha-
ma; eco miles nearer Korea; 1000 miles
nearer Melbourne; 1.sO0 miles nearer Sidney;
$500 miles nearer New Zealand: from 5000
to 5000 miles nearer to all of the western
coast of South America; would bring us
from 1000 to 5000 miles nearer peoples whose
imports last year amounted TO 81 ,l20,0 1900.
Is there an intelligent business man before
me who fails to see the enormous advantage
to us in our export trade by such a short
ening of time and space and the reduction of
freight rates between US and those nations
with whom we are on the friendliest terms
and with many of whom We have CONNER
cial treaties?
Il am silent as to the magnificent advan-
tage such a route promises to our domestic
trade, bringing this city 10000 miles nearer
by water to San Francisco. the Columbia
river and Puget sound, shortening the time
by steam from forty to twenty days. by
sail from 10 to sixty-five days, and reducing
freight rates at least one-third. for my dis
cussion this evening is confined to our eX-
port trade and its extension"
Speaking of the rivalry of the nations the
senator said: The commercial war on
iercer and fercer. Germany will be our
most dangerous rival. Germany is our most
formidable commercial enemy. She is skilled
in the arts OF and mechanics; she
Is persistent. Aggressive. ann0VlnQ and in
domitable. / tell you, gentlemenr that We
have more to fear from Germany than
from any other nation on earth. But, despite
al her efforts, we will surpass her and be
more successful than her in the contest for
prestige in foreign commerce. Her wages
paid are not one-half ours"
H PHILIPPINES.
In discussing the Philippines the senator
said: Give the islands a good government,
protection to life and property, an advanc-
ing civilization, increasing intelligence, fair
wages. honest collecting of revenues. rail-
roads and highways, improved agricultural
implements. cable communication with our
country and telegraph lines between them.
and who doubts that the commerce will in
a few years be q~uadrupled? The bulk of 1t
will be ours, even with the open door. for
we shall have the advantage of England,
Germany and France in distance and In
N
these rates have been, since 1871, from Ma
Mia to the United States, a little less, on
the average, than one-half those from Ma
Mia TO England, and 10 per cent. less from
our country TO Manila than from England.
The islands are marvelously rich and pro-
ductive. Not more than one-quarter Of the
tillable land is under cultivation. They pro-
duce the best hemp known, while there is
no limit 10 the deman for II; also sugar,
copra, indigo. tobacco, rice, fruits and vege-
tables OF all kinds. They are rich In min
erals. gold, copper, lead and iren, the latter
yielding in some mines 50 per cent. pure
metal. There Is an abundance or coal IN
nearly all OF the islands. We have paid fol
coal for Dewey's fleet from S2 TO $50 a ton.
On the island OF Cebu it is found in enor-
nous quantities, OF quality superior 10 the
Japanese lump, practically inaccessible now,
for IL is fifteen miles from the port OF Cebu,
| A railroad for that distance will land II al
this port for D shillings a ton. The forests,
of the best mercantile woods, are boundless
Under such a government as this Repub-
lie would establish, inviting capital and al
fording security TO IL, the possibilities OF the
archipelago are amazing. Even under Span
| ish dominion, in 1863, a few foreigners gath
between Iloilo and Cebu, and now the line
has fifty, reaching all the islands. But the
/ value to US Of the domestic trade OF these
possessions IS insignificant compared 10 that
regarded from a point
of view. They front the entire China sea,
they introduce US 10 the Orient. with its
seven or eight hundred millions Of people,
with imports now exceeding N,J0o,VC.WU an.
nuaily, which advancing civilization vii
double In a few years. They give us, foi
: the hrst time = tremendous moral force. G