The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1900-03-13
Control of the Pacific.

to know for some time past, what
the future status OF the Philippines
is to be for the purposes OF trade.
Before establishing branch houses
at Manils, from which orders from
any place in the Orient could be
promptly filed, they required to
know whether the Philippines we're
to he considered a part Of the Unit
ed States, and, as sncb, entitled to
free trade with the rest Of the coun-
try. 1t has been obvious that the
Administration at Washington has
not known it's own mind, and conse-
quently has not had policy on that
question. 1t was not matter to be
determined in a day, It's settlement
bristled with difficulties. The inter-
ests OF California would seem to be
best served by inter State free
trade with Manila: that is to say
they would if the Filipinos were
never to become more Of an export.
ing people than they now are.
Hemp and tobacco are their only
exports worth reckoning with,
Hemp does net compete with any
home product, and tobacco inter.
feres TO so small an extent with the
growers OF the Connecticut Valley
that their interests would have to
stand out OF the way of the common
good. But with the Philippines adj
mitted as a part of,the national do.
main, either as states or territories,
the circumstances would soon be.
come very different. The introduc.
ton of American capital and enter
prise would change the face of ma.
ture in the islands, end Asiatic labor
would food our shores with its
cheap products. Besides there
would then be no stopping the
coolies reaching this port, and the
old exclusion" question would be
revived in more formidable shape
than ever. 1t is apparent therefore
that the question Of the status Of
the Philippines in their connection
with this country is one of rare diff.
Guilty. OF course we would all like
to make them as serviceable as pos.
sible to the up-buiding of the COM
MERGE OF this coast, but the prob
lem has not yet been solved as to
how that can best he dore.
Ia the perplexed condition in
which the subject stands business
men are eagerly asking each other:
"What does the administration in.
tend to do?' We think the answer
has been substantially vouchsaied
during the current week. Congress.
man Newlands delivered himself of
long and carefully written speech
on Monday last, in which he ex
pressed, not so much his own We've,
as those OF the Administration and
OF the Committee on Insular affairs,
of which he is chairman. He was
first of all careful to give the CON-
mittees Interpretation OF the Con-
of the United States in re-
gard to the uniformity OF all duties
in territory within its jurisdiction"
He had been instructed to hold that
when the United States brought any
outlying territory within its juris.
diction, that territory at once be.
came entitled to free trade with the
states and territories. He made it
clear that the Administration, aud
the committee OF which he was the
chosen spokesman, thought it en-
tirely safe to admit Porto Rico and
Hawaii as territories, but he was no
less explicit in declaring the opinion
that it would never do to take terri
torial jurisdiction over the Philip
pines. 1t must be understood that,
for the purposes OF this article, VIC
are stating the Gaze. not arguing it.
We are trying to get at what the
policy is to be, and are not concern.
ed for the time being with either
criticism or defending it. That will
come later on. Just now this coast
L. Imam Lo.. - Il