Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03
Effect on Philippines. of Free Trade
With Porto Rico.
TERMS OF TEE PARIS TREATY OF PEACE
Spain Given Commercial Rights
Equal to Ours.
OTHER NATIONS CLAIMS

| Does the adoption of the Porto Rican bill
foreshadow the abandonment of the policy
of holding the Philippines?
| The intimation that it does or may is
being significantly whispered, and some
very earnest expansionists fear that it
| does.
The suggestion is that it is the purpose
| of the republicans to have tested by the
| Supreme Court, with reference to Porto
| Rico, the constitutionality of levying a
discriminating customs duty on goods from
| the insular possessions of the United States,
| and that if the Supreme Court decided that
the Constitution of necessity extends to
| these islands and that they must be given
| the same privileges as other parts of the
territory of the United States there will be
| change of policy with reference to the
Philippines. the purpose to retain them
abandoned.
One reason for the insistsnce on the Por-
to Hican tariff bill is said to be the pur-
pose to have the test made as soon pos
sible in the Supreme Court, SO that there
will remain time to shape the Philippine
policy accordingly.
ObjectiOns of Republican,
In the debate on the Porto Rican bill sew
eral republicans announced that they would
| be opposed to the retention of the Philip
pines II to retain them meant that they
must be permitted to enjoy all the priv
ileges Of territory of the United States
Senator Foraker made significant decla-
ration with reference to the ~open door
in the Philippines while debating the mat
ter in the Senate yesterday, suggesting that
1t would mean the failure of our whole pro-
tective system.
If the Philippine Islands were to become
a part of the territory Of the United States
mi Of tIo
pean nations would have no more right to
demand an open door there than they
would in the port Of Philadelphia or New
ork' put II they were regarded as mere
dependencies subject to customs duties
levied by US, the demand might be made
FOR an open door in the Philippines, as in
China.
Terms of the Paris Treaty.
On broad general principles this is the
status OF the case; but there is an embar-
rassment In the terms of the Spanish peace
treaty which might compel an abandon-
ment of this well-defned principle.
The treaty with Spain provides that Spain
shall enjoy for a period of ten years the
same commercial privileges in the Philip
pines as are enjoyed by the United States.
Moreover, the favored nation clause is con-
tanned IN all or nearly all of our commercial
treaties with other nations, and it might be
insisted upon by them that under this
clause they were entitled to whatever pr1v-
lieges In the Philippines were accorded to
Spain.
Awaiting the Courts Ruling.
Under these circumstances, II the Su-
preme Court should decide that free trade
must exist between the Philippine Islands
and the United States. 1t might be equiva-
lent to the establishment of free trade with
all the world for period of ten years. the
PhiliDnippS beipp he
United States.
A ruling by the Supreme Court is. there
FORE regarded as of the greatest impor-
tance before our policy as to the Philip
pines is settled once for ALI; and should the
court hold with reference to Porto Rico
that no duties could be collected, but that
uniform revenues must be maintained
through the United States and all its pos
sessions, the purpose to retain the Philip
pines might be abandoned and a new plan
of dealing with the question be adopted.