El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-13
INCREASING VALUE OF TERRI
TORY.

1t is impossible to study map show
Ing the territorial growth OF the Unit
ed States without being impressed by
the thought that the countries which
coded US the greater part OF cur ma
ttopaI domain would be glad enough to
get it back II they could. The Prov
ince of Louisiana, which we bought
from France in 1903 for paltry sum,
occupies an approximate third In the
centre of the country. 1t stretches
along the west bank OF the Mississippi
river from head to mouth and en-
braces all the region westward to the
Pacific, with the exception OF Texas
Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona
and part Of New Mexico and Colorado.
What magnificent tract II is! 1t In
cludes Minnesota, lows, Missouri, Ar
kansas, Louisiana, the Dakotas, Ne
braska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Indian Ter
ritory, Montans, Idaho, Washington,
Oregon, andCpart of Wyoming and
Colorado What a fine dom ain France
would have today If she had not re-
linouiahed it to jefferson, Spain, if she
were in good financial condition, would
rejoice to get Florida into her control
once more. Mexico would jump at the
chance to enlarge her boundaries by
retaining New Mexico, California, Ne
vada, tab and Arizona. Does any body
doubt that Russia, with her new am BIZ
tious In eastern Asia, would embrace
the opportunity to buy back Alaska at
the price we paid her for 1t? Seven
million dollars was all Mr.. Seward
had to hand over to the government
Of the car, and it is an absolute GER
tainty that the great domain will
enrich US many times that amount in
q comparatively few years.
Mr.. Jefferson purchased Louisiana
for fifteen millions. Who would
undertake to compute it's value to the
American union now? When we offer
ed Spain twenty m'liionsa few months
ago for the Philippines we gave the
world an excellent illustration Of the
ad vance in real estate that has taken
place during the nineteenth century.
The Philippines are worth twenty mil
lions to us, but they are not SO valu
able as Louisiana. What will they be
worth a hundred years hence? The
world lie "growing smaller, thanks to
the incr ease of portation facilities.
II present.plans.are carried out, steam
ships will be on the Pacific IN |
two or three years capable of
covering the distance from |
San Francisco to Manila in less than !
Two weeks. How long will it take our
successors to make the journey? In
the year 1000 villa the trip to Luzon
be re garded as long and tedious? This
Is not fsnciful way OF looking at the
question. The annihilatlon of distance
has progressed rapidly since 1900.
There were 70 stes mships afloat at that
lime and now we have scores Of ocean
yreyh ounds" and hundreds of other
oarison with the stsgecoaches and sail
ng craft2of an earlier. day.
There was time when England
,ould have had the TraDsvaal for the
'aking. 1t can have It 'for the tax
ng" now, but thousands Of lives and
ore the process is completed. Yetthe
English troops are pushing on at the
% nmand OF a government that thinks
even this price is not too great to pay.
The waste lads of Africa have bsen
appropriated by the Caucasian nations.
even little BEGUN will be, In q few
months, poesessor in her own right OF
,early million square miles of terri
DRY in the Congo region. Is there
my where manifest disposition to sell
erritory? Spain is almost the only ma
ion with land in tie market and she
would hold fast TO all her colonies If
he were not hopelessly bankrupt. She
fers remote group of islands for sale
nd Germany steps IN an eager pur-
haser. Denmark may sell uH few
Vest Indian isles. Only the Monroe
>octride keeps the hand Of Europe off
central and South America. There is
greater demand for territory than I
yer before and we alone OF all the -,
etlons are backward st the bargain. !
ounter. /
Al nd