The times., 1901-03-12
A CHANCE FOR THE CHINESE
Needed to Develop the Resources
of the Philippines.

( CooIie Labor Valuable for the Plan
fations and Mines-A Proposition
for the Pacification of the Islands
An Opportunity for Agriculture.
III the United States continues to hold
the Philippines I am inclined to believe
that the Chinese Exclusion act will not
be enforced there" said a J. Bhthecote
at the Arlington last night Mr. Blithe-
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 PeninsU-
la he continued. The country is under
British protection as far as foreign policy
is concerned The present Sultan. Ibra
him. was crowned in 1898 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 Mohammedan,
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 a trip TO England via ue United
States to look for wife No. 3. he Sultan
speaks English well and is only thirty
seven years old He has 150.0o0 Chinese
living in his domains and they are the
real workers. They are the most careful
cultivators of gambler pepper and sago
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
slN-R firagyl oh,
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 loco 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
Straits Settlements, a British colony,
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 If he ever thought of the
Philippines as place for Chinese invest
ment and labor Yes said he. 1 went
there once, but under Spanish rule there
was no encoura cement Now, you Ameri-
cans exclude the Chinese. ! think Chi
nese labor is your salvation. The Filipino
people are not industrious and cannot sup
II ha q rv to dARTpl he
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 as
is necessary there. England liberal
policy with all people is what has made
her the greatest of all countries as a colo
nizing power. If the United States is TO
be a coiOnizing power it must change its
immigration laws as 20 the colonies in !
Asia at least, regardless of what these |
laws may be as TO the home country.
Have you plan for settling the Phil |
ippines with Chinese l asked.
Yes; / have discussed that matter !
many times with prominent American
gentleman who acknowledges the FEAST
biltty 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 1 have it
mapped out on quite an elaborate scale, |
ana the lUcd ilBIl appear TO De "A Selfish |
one for our own gain, so we will 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.
" "Fhe Government would cOntiscate all |
property of insurgents who did not lay /
down their arms by a certain date. All !
the Tagalo prisoners of war, as well as |
all criminal of all classes would be eXlled !
to the island Of Guam, this TO be done |
as long as the war or any semblance of |
it lasted. 1t would involve making Gum |
or portion of 1t a penal settlement. |
Huild 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 !
TO thousands OF Chinese at once III the I
work Of construction
My friend would complete the organi-
Zation Of transportation company for /
carrying the Chinese to the Philippines. !
would undertake to organize the Chi |
nese who wished TO go Each one would
have TO advance say so to pay for his
TRANSPORTATION. AS much more would
have 10 be deposited with the company |
to be drawn In the Philippines in the
shape OF rice for subsistence until each
Chfnaman got fairly started there. There
would be no trouble about pauper chi
nese | would guarantee that could
find several millions such, many or them
having enough to buy an acre or more
of ground or 10 rent land and plant crops
and crnplov Chinese laborerS with. Be
sides the tens OF thousands put TO work
at agricultural pursuits, as many more
would be employed in the forests, the
,,>ines and In building. If the island OF
lava. with less than half the area of the
Philippines, can support Z0,oOJVh OF peo- |
PIE. the Philippines can support twice /
that number. The Philippines have |
greater diversity of resources than Japan
&c al I'M q