Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-08-17
AProbIem for Expansionists.
IT, rnnorc, Tribune DeS MoineS Iowa

l
Eliminating every thing else but the
side of the expansion question
which all must admit to be the incen-
tive which has prompted us to wage
this war of conquest upon the natives
of the Philippine island, and it re-
solves itself into question of dollars
and cents and should be considered in
the same light as any other business
proposition. 1t should be cleared of
all side issues and complications and
resolved into (estimated) gross and net
earnings. Like any other business,
expenses should form one of the prin-
cipal basis from which to start our
calculations Especially should be so
when there are certain fixed eXper ses
which must come whether there is
any great volume of business done or
not. Starting from this basis is the
only one that is now certain, we will
make trial sheet and see what we
must accomplish in order to strike a
balance.
General Otis, who has been in the
Philippines much longer than any 9th
| err American officer and who is in po-
Sition to know as much about the con-
ditions there as any one could, says it
will take as large an army as we now
have there for several years in order
| to properly police the island and keep
the natives in subsection. Mr.. Adam
son, of Lcslic's Weekly, which has
supported the administration policy,
writes from the Philippines that the
situation there is much more serious
than is given out by the War depart
mcnt. From no source have ~e re-
ceived information that would indi'
cate that Otis has made the case toe
favorably in his statemedt. Therefore
it is safe to assume that we must
maintain an army of siXty-tive thouS'
and men in the Philippians for ten and
perhaps fifteen years. The yearly eX'
pense of maintaining an army of thai
size cannot be less than 800, 100000
Therefore we will take that as Il basis
for our actual expense in holding the
territory to which we expect to sci
goods in sufficient quantities to make
a profit. 1t is estimated that 10 pc
cent is large profit to clear on pro
products shipped to foreign market
and that large portion of the good
do not net the shipper 10 per cent, bu
we will place our estimate on tina
basis. In order to strike balaAce at
thc cnl ,ef 55i.c ear and wipe out the
expense of 500, 100000 to which we
have been to hold the islands, we find
that it will take the profits from one
billion dollars worth of our products.
Thus it will require the sale of one
billion dollars in the eastern market
before we will begin to make one cent
The entire eastern trade last yeal
amounted to about S100,0o0,000, in
Guiding that with Hawaii. In order
to pay the expenses we will have tt
increase it to ten times that. How
long will it take to do this? 1t is SAT-
to say that it will take many years, i
ever. Another Thing TO be conSidere'
| is, would we not get almost, if not full
ly as much trade without going t
this enormous expense we are now in
curing? There are good reasons to as
sumo that we would. Our trade will
! Africa increased more last year thar
> that with the Philippines in spite o
the fact that we had a large arm
there This shows that it is not al
Il ways necessary to lead with the fla
y to get trade.
: These facts and figures are we
:, worthy of consideration in connectio
. with the Philippine question. 1t
well to ask ourselves whether it is nc
e a loosing business venture as we'll a
an unjust one.
The plain facts in the case are tina
we were carried away with the desiI
J. to become world power and "
choose the first piece of territory th;
IL was offered us without counting tt
l. cost, either lives or money. We d
not dream that the oppressed FL.
es Pine" would resist our wise and b
1g nevolent rule" We have made
w colossal blunder and it has been VIZ
C. nigh impossible to avoid making
plain that we have blundered. V
al have expanded" with vengence
the cost of running our governmer
IL We have been compelled to repudia
81 our democratic policy and our cons
C. tuition. We have placed our Monr
doctrine in jeopardy, and weaken
on our power to enforce it. In return
'te have gained what? The fattery
the greatest enemy of democra
'ts government in the world-Englar
and earned the distrust Of every /
lll ton in Europe.