The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-12
A CHANCE FOR THE CHINESE
Needed to Develop the Resources
of the Philippines.

CooIic Labor Valuable for the Plan
tntions and Mines-A Proposition
for the PaciGcation of the Islands
An Opportunity for Agriculture.
III the United States continues to hold
the Philippines | am inclined to believe
that the Chinese Exclusion act will not
be enforced there" said a. J. Bhthecote
at the Arlington last night. Mr.. Biithe-
cote has Travelled extensively In the Far
East and is familiar with Oriental Gus
toms and characteristics.
Il have seen a good deal Of the Chi
nese in Johore. in the Malayan Pennsu-
Ia - he continued. THE country is under
British protection as far as foreign policy
is concerned The present Sultan bra
him. was crowned in 1895 upon the death
of his father. He is very wealthy, and
lives in true Oriental splendor and tropi-
cal ease. His hobby is fast horses. and his
fleet animals are among the best known
in India and are not unknown in Eu-
rope. In religion he is a Nohammedan,
and has two wives native Malay women.
Some time ago he announced that his
third wife must be a white woman, either
from Europe or America. He is now plan
ming Il trip to England via t. United
States to look for wife No. 3. The Sultan
speaks English well and is only thirty
seven years old He has 10000 Chinese
living in his domains and they are the
real workers. They are the most careful
cultivators of gambler, pepper and sage.
the chief products of-the country Rice,
tobacco, tea, coffee, and cocoa are also
grown. The natural products in timber
are rattans and damar. The country is
exceedingly. rich in iron ore. but it is I'M
developed. Some of the richest tin mines
In the world are around the Malay States.
The Netherlands Island of Sumatra, just
across the Malacca Straits, is also rich in
tin.
Upon my arrival at Johore 1 met an
intelligent and wealthy Chinaman with
whom had become acquainted at Hong
kong, Chun Yick Ting, a resident of that
city. Ting had brought 900 coolies from
China to work in his extensive tin mines
Mr.. Ting told me he was investing all
his money in other countries than China
He realized that his own country abound
ed in natural resources, but the mandarin
system of squeezing Chinese subjects
who made money had driven him out of
the country with his capital. as it had
many others. He had come to the
where many of his countrymen had in
vested in tin mining. He had moved his
family to Hongkong, where the govern
ment Is British
Il asked him II he ever thought of the
Philippines place for Chinese invest
ment and labor. Yes, said he. 1 went
there once bit under Spanish rule there
was no enconrd cement. Now, you A-neri-
cans exclude the Chinese. / think Chi
nese labor is your salvation. The Filipino
Il rfs
ply the labor necessary TO develop the
vast resources of those islands. You can
not bring labor from your own country
to the tropics, for your laborers cannot
stand that climate nor live as cheaply rs
is necessary there. Englands liberal
policy with all people is what has made
her the greatest of all countries colo
MIXING power. II the United States is to
be colonizing power 1t must change its
immigration laws as to the colonies in
Asia at least, regardless of what these
laws may be to the home country
Have you a plan for settling the Phil
ippines with Chinese l asked.
Yes; / have discussed that matter
many times with prominent American
gentleman who acknowledges the fea ST.
bility of the scheme if your Congress will
grasp the situation and enact laws that
are liberal enough.
What kind of laws would Congress
need TO enact to make your scheme a
workable one?
My American friend and I have it
mapped out on quite an elaborate scale,
and the idea might appear to be selfish
one for our own gain so we VIII grant
in the beginning that this is so. But ii
would make OF the Philippines one of the
richest colonial countries in the world
II would he the garden of gardens.
" The Government would confiscate all
property of insurgents who did not lay
down their arms by certain date. All
the Tagalo prisoners of war, as well as
all criminal of all classes would be eXiled
To done
as long as the war or any semblance of
It lasted. 1t would involve making Gum
or a portion of it penal settlement.
Build a railway the length OF Lyon
along the Rio Grande de Cagayan.
other railways would soon be built
through other sections by private cap
ital and they would pay from the start
almost This would give employment
work OF construction.
My friend would complete the organi-
cation of a transportation company Tor
carving the Chinese to the Philippines
l would undertake to organize the Chi
nese who wished to go. Each one would
have to advance say $40 to pay for his
transportation. As much more would
have to be deposited with the company
to be drawn in the Philippines in the
shape of rice for subsistence until each
Chinaman got fairly started there ihere
would be no trouble about pauper Chl-
nese. | would guarantee that could
find several millions such. many OF them
having enough to buy an acre or more
of ground or to rent land and plant crops
and employ Chinese laborers with. Be
sides the tens OF thousands put 10 work
at agricultural pursuits. as many more
would he employed in the forests, the
mines and in building. II the island or
lava with less than half the area of the
Philippines. can support 20pOO,g" OF peo-
Pile, the Philippines can support twice
greater diversity of resources than Japan
and the req is almost as great.