Washington sentinel., 1900-09-15
Possibilities OF
Orienta Grace.

NJ AR(ltld GldOS NNS'S nave aP'
peared so many
glittering generaities concerning the
possibilities of Oriental trade and the
opportunities for the exploitation OF
American capital in the Philippines,
that | beg the courtesy OF our valuable
paper 10 throw some definite light on
the subject. 1t is universally conceded
that the development Of tropical coun.
tries is possible only where there is a
dense population, or where a stem of
contract labor is enforced Owing to
the shortness OF the periods Tor planting
and gathering and the perishable nature
OF the products, labor must not only be
promptly available, but certain. In the
case of dense population or of imported
or contract labor. there can be no benefit
to the American laborsr, The popua-
tion OF the Philippines is four times as
dense as that Of the United States.
But it is said that China, parceled out
to modern nations, will vastly extend
our trading opportunities. Let US Judge
from analogy England has devoted her
BNaA NlAOl - ~ AllNIAdH GllAGA q NGuAlI
spent in suhjugatiDg the varous races.
the process OF benevolent assimilation
is being helped along by never ending
flow Of capital from the mother country
India is now ia the throes Of a famine
The import trade Of India and its
dependencies, including Cevlou, and the
net trade Of the Straits Settlements
fully soc, o,ooo, 900 people-is only s2S4,
oo0ooo, about a third more than tae
import trade Of Australia, with a
population Of less than S 900 600 The
per capita consumption OF imported
merchandise OF the Asiatic possessions
of England is only 81 c-nts, while that
of Australia amounts to f4I GO.
These are the lands Of fabIed wealth,
The people Of antiquity and the middle
ages dreamed Of riches Inexbaustlble in
connection with them. and even today
we are told that the wealth Of nations
largely depends on direct trade with
the East, Those who take the trouble
to inform themselves know better The
country cannot be rich whose millions
find happiness in a sufficient supply OF
milet aud rice, where few yards Of
cotton cloth make a full dress suit, and
whose mechanics earn from 10 to Il
cents a day. The figures given in this
letter are taken from AbbIelJA'S P9bnEay
Science M0HfhLy and there can be no
doubt as to their correctness.
To follow the tortuous trend OF colon
ial expansion let us turn to Africa.
Germany, the latest conner there. is
eagerly taking up her colonizing mis-.
sion, The result is fine set Of govern.
ment buildings. with garden spots and
harbor Improvements in the settlement
at Camaroou, and a we'll stocked
graveyard Of what were once good
German boys-victims oi the deadly
climate and the expansion policy. The
contribution OF the German Government
to the administration fund Ofthe African
colonies is 81 1874 COO. This does no.
include the expenses OF maintaining tn,
military and naval forces stationed il
the German-Airlcan settlements. Th,
annual importation Of all the colonies
including New Guinea, amounted I,
S7,7oI,ooo, so IL costs the German
Government more than 81 to enable il
subjects to do a dollars worth Of trad
in its expanded possessions.
France has been in possession {
eTritories in Africa for over 400 year