The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-30
Why We Must Not Dream of Surrender
Ing the Philippines.

The present and prospective value Of the
Philippines, both as regards their own
natural resources and as giving their pos
SCISSOR the power to secure a large share of
Chinas foreign commerce, is set forth at
length in an article contributed to tho
August number OF the North American Re
ctew by Mr.. JOHN BARRETT formerly our
Minister to Siam. The authors opinions
are clothed with the authority OF first
hand observer and they are supported by
Statistics that speak for themselves.
The writer dismsses the question OF our
moral right to retain the Philippines by re-
hinding us Of fundamental and unchalleng-
able TRUTH namely. that the United States
have assumed an unavoidable responsibility,
not only to themselves and the natives, but
10 the world, in expelling the Spaniards
from the Philippine archipelago Wecannot
return the islands to their former owners,
nor sell them to another power, nor aban-
don them to the absolute control OF native
rulers without Sinking that responsibility
and taking a backward step, from which
We should never recover in the eyes of
mankind. AS for the intrinsic worth OF the
islands, the conclusion which he reached
after extended travel through them before
the outbreak OF the war was that they
present great opportunities not only for
foreign commerce and inter-insular trade,
but for tho Legitimate Investment OF capital
and for Industrial enterprise. There Is, he
AYERS. no richer undeveloped portion OF
Asia than the Philippine group. He has
visited. lie tells u.s. tho interiors both OF
Luzon and OF Nippon, the principal island
OF Japan, and he does not hesitate to say
that, aside from area and population, the
comparison Is altogether in favor OF the
former. AS for climate, Manila Is better
of than Hong Kong. Bangkok, Singapore
or Batavia, In all OF which cities European
officials and business men with their fami-
lies and employees live in fair health, COM
fort and happiness. Those who are dis
posed to make OF the Philippine climate a
bugbear may be surprised to hear that
more people die OF the grippe In New York
IN one year than OF fever. cholera and
plague In Manila In ten years"
AS to the foreign commerce OF the
Philippines, which at present amounts to
over $50, 600, 900, Mr.. BARRETT holds that
1t should be trebled within the next decade,
and he says that $3.50. 100000 might be
expended on railway construction in por-
tions Of the island which have a large popu-
lation and extensive products, and which
may, therefore. be relied upon to return a
reasonable interest on the investment.
The Importance OF the Philippines to us,
however. Is not to be measured by their in
trinsic value, large as this Is. and capable
OF indefinite expansion. The influence which
the acquisition OF the island empire has
given us In the Far East Is appreciated only
by those who, like the writer OF this article,
were sojourners in that quarter Of the globe
at the time, and who witnessed the ire.
mendous moral effect OF DEwEY's victory.
The humiliation Of the Spanish fleet was
followed. Mr. BARRETT tells us, by a rs-
ing wave OF American prestige that swept
up and down the Asiatc coast OF the Pacific
like the rush OF u tidal current. He does
not overstate the truth, he thinks, when he
asserts that the formal cession OF the
Islands laid the basis for Americas becom.
Ing the paramount power OF the Pacific.
To what practical result can this moral
Ascendancy be turned?
The answer furnishes the text for the
bulk OF Mr.. BARRErr's article. The distri
button OF China's foreign commerce will be,
A- h'o JuuBhhoht inc capital question OF
the twentieth century. Our interest In
that distribution is not sectional but ma
tional. 1t Is true that China and other
countries OF the Far East may be relied
upon to take. eventually, all the flour
and timber and a Roodly portion OF
other kinds OF food and raw prod
ucts which California. Oregon. Wash
tAgton and neighboring Pacific States
nan supply. They also want. however. the