The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-14
Trade Follows the Flag.

4
Trade Follows the Flag.
| There are some who profess to disbe-
lieve the maxim that trade follows the
flag, and who insist that the retention of
| the islands acquired within the past
four years will not of necessity result
in any expansion OF trade with them.
! The best answer to this Is to be found In
| the statistics as to the expansion OF
| trade which has already followed the
| the temporary American occupancy Of
| Cuba
| Recent figures compiled by the treas
| ury department show that the imports
| from Puerto Rico In May and June of
/ this year were more than 80 per cent.
| greater than they were in the corre-
spending months of last year; and this
| under the operation of tariff law
| which. according to the wild assertion
of Democratic partisans. was to crush
| and impoverish the Puerto Rican peo-
| Pile During the same months the ex-
| ports from the United States to Puerto
| Rico were considerably more than twice
as great as they were in the correspond
| ing months Of last year. Yet the storm
OF August, 1899. came near TO impover-
ishing the island. Within year the
| ravages of that storm have been so far
| repaired. and the condition Of the peo-
| pie so improved. under American con-
| troll. and under the tariff law established
| by Republican congress, that the PEG.
| pie of the islands were enabled to sell
! 10 this country so per cent. more OF
their products than they were in the
month preceding. the storm. while they
are enabled to purchase more than twice
as large an amount of American pro-
| ducts.
proportionately as great an increase
| To Cuba the exports have increased
nearly eight millions In the fiscal year
| ending on June 80 1900. over what they
were for the preceding year. while TO
the Philippine Islands the exports In
creased nearly six times.
As far as concerns Cuba. Puerto Rico
and the Philippines, 1t may be argued
that the increased trade Is due in part
to the presence OF American troops and
to the fact that those islands are In
| process OF recovering from the effects
OF devastating wars; and that conse-
qusntly the increase in commerce shown
Is abnormal.
As far as the Hawaiian islands are
concerned, no such arguments can he
advanced. The Hawaiian islands were
fairly prosperous and were doing large
trade with the United states before an
nexation. In fact. the great bulk OF
their trade was with the United states.
while they were under an independent
government Yet the export trade to
Hawaii has increased In substantially
az great a proportion So has the trade
20 cuba and the Philippines. and that
expansion Of trade Is due almost entirely
20 the fact Of their annexation by the
United states The exports 10 Hawaii
were valued at s6s07. iss tn 1885 80 a0s.-
a7o In isss, and In 1900 they we're sa. sos.-
t4a The few islands of the Hawaiian
group, In their total area not 20 large
as the state ~ Connecticut. furnish to-
day larger market for American goods
than some Of The countries ~ Europe.
or any 81 the countries u south Ameri.
ca and our trade with them has tn
creased as no other trade has done. save
with ether islands which have come IN
der the American aAs That trade IN
as great as II Is with ali Of China.
The Hawaiian Islands Furnish one Of
the hagvlsst nlustrat lions ~ how trade
follows the flag The natives OK Hawaii
are raelally similar 10 those o. the
Philippines. They have adopted the hab-
its and clothing Of civilization. ana are
consumers of American goods. II win
be a question Of but few years when
the natives Of the Philippines win be On
the same plane with the HawaIlans.
Their earning capacity will Increase,
they will flnd here a better market for