The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-25
VIEW OF THE PHILIP
PINE QUESTION.

]
In the current number of the Sat
urday Evening Post Senator Bacon OF
! this state has an interesting article on
! the question, VIII the Philippines
Pay? 1t will be recalled that Senator
Bacon visited the islands last summer
and made a pretty through study of
their resources and of their prospective
commercial value to us. 1t may be as
well stated at once that he does not
believe that they are a good invest
ment. He points out that they have
already cost us more than $500, 600, 900
at the very lowest estimate. AS a mat
ter of fact there are estimates by COM
petent authorities which make the cost,
up TO the present time, over 100000 600.
But, assuming that the cost is only the
first named amount, it is easy to
demonstrate that the cost will not be
less than $50, 600, 900 a year for the next
five years, even if it becomes safe to
reduce our army there to the num-
Der of men the administration now
thinks will be sufficient.
L llG ClNll tiAAiiilllSLi dAlOtl 10 COollyf tbild
it's cost is steadily increasing. Troops
are being sent home all the while be-
cause they become invalids. The cost
oe transportation for troops and sup
plies is very great. Besides, about
every soldier that returns is a fit sub
ject for the pension list, and the PEN
sion sharks are pretty certain to get
him on the list. If, therefore, our oc-
cupation Of the islands should continue
for five years longer we would be out
$500 900, 900 on account of them.
Senator Bacon, however, presents the
opinions of we'll informed army officers
to the effect that we shall want an
army of at least $4,000 men for several
years. not to put down organized in
surrection, because that is already end
ed, but to prevent instructions, the
people being in anything but friendly
temper. These same officers predict
that we shall need an army in the
islands for a generation or more,
though eventually the size of it may be
greatly reduced These estimates are
much greater than those of the ad-
ministration.
The inference from what Senator
Bacon says is that the islands will cost
us more than 81, ,0O0, ,O00, 900 before they
are self-susta tanning, if in fact their
revenues ever become large enough to
meet the cost of their government. AS
yet the value of their commerce to us
is so small that it is hardly worth no.
ticing. 1t win increase, of course, but
to what extent no one can say with any
degree of certainty.
In the foregoing no account is taken
of the lives of soldiers that have been
and viii be sacrificed in holding the ISL
ands. The number is already large.
Diseases, due to the climate, have of
course killed and injured many more
than the insurgents.
Senator Bacon goes over the argu-
ments advanced for holding the islands
permanently and arrives at the con-
clusion that they will not have much
weight if the conclusion is reached
that there is little orino prospect, from
any point of view, shat they will be a
paying investment. He thinks a way
will be found to get out of them that
will be honorable to the nation. 1t is
evident, from what he says, that it
would be a wise thing for us to do to
get out of them now. 1t can be done
honorably at present as well as at
some future time. 1t must be admit
ted that the Senator presents facts in
support of his views that are calcu-
lated to make the American people do
a great deal of thinking.