New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-07
philippine COMMERCE.

There is n decided ana most Welc"Dle NC
cline and fall ofT''-as Mr.. Wegg would say
Of the recent railing and sneering ana Johy
ioke-makinc against the Philippines as scene
Of American Commercial! activity. only the
otber day we were being told with iteration
more tedious than anything else that we had
no commerce with the Philippines, save to ship
supplies to our army there. and that we never
sbould or could have-any more. we suppose
than we could have tinplate industry in the
United States 1t was merrily suggested that
we had better send more troops TO the islands
If we wanted TO export more goods for thus
only could A demand fer American products
l,e created and il was asked, with prefer
natural solemnty why. if the Philippines were
Of auy value Mt all. were Tot developing
right AWAY an enormous commerce with prov
inces that were ia revolt and with ports that
were not yet reopened
II did not seem necessary to generate an eh-
cessive amount of caloric in replying to these
tapes and queries To everybody save those
who are given to expecting all things III an
hour the answer was obvious. To-day 1t IS
cnrcretely set down in black and white. 1t
apnpars In the official statistics of Philippine
commerce for the ten months ended with Octo-
ber 1901 compared with the corresponding ten
months of 1900. The figures, he it noted, are
exclusive of all army supplies, and represent
only ordinary civil commerce. They show that
the commerce of the islands is. on the whole
increasing at q promising rate In the ten
months of 1901 exports increased per cent
and imports 81 per cent over the ten months
of 1900. So much for the general trade of the
islands with all the world Still more crafty
Ing are the figures of trade with the United
States. They show for the ten months in
-, 4l,ar, n r..pIlf
in exports from the islands TO this country, and
an increase of nearly 30 per cent in imports
TO the islands from the United States. There
is the answer TO the sneer that we did not and
could not sell anything TO the Philippines,
While the total imports into the Philippines
increased 81 per cent in ten months. the i'm
ports from the United States increased nearly
20 per cent. We may leave it to the Jolly
jokers to figure out how long-or how short
a time it will take. at that rate, TO give us
the foremost place in Philippine trade
This increase. be it noted. has been effected
despite the fact that the islands are not abso-
lutely and universally pacified. and despite the
fact. too. that we have as yet no Pacific cable
and no sthman canal to aid in the develop
ment of trace. The pacification of the islands
is however. now at hand. With its entire
achievement the increase OF our commerce may
be expected TO proceed at an accelerated rate.
The next step. which should be taken soon.
will be the laying of telegraphic cable entirely
under the American flag, from the United
States TO the Philippines. and the extension of
that system, under our undoubted treaty rights,
10 China and Japan. That. we may well be-
lieve will give a strong additional impulse
to our transpacific trade Finally, in due If
deliberate course of time. we may expect TO
see an isthmian canal constructed also under
the American flag and then we shall enter into
the fulness of our legitimate inheritance as
the chief commercial power the Pacific
1.-The ocean of the future" In securing and in
maintaining that position the Philippines will
be TO us of inestimable practical value.