The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-09
CATTLE LOSSES ARE
SEVERE FOR THE
'PINOS
Ov. Taft, Replying to State
ments Made by Gen. Miles,
Says Amount of Famine Is
Surprisingly Small, but
Cattle Question Is a Seri-
GUS One.

The war department today made public
a report received from Gov. Taft, re-
plying to statements made by Lieut..
Gen. Miles after his visit to the islands
last year. The report is dated at Ben
guest, April IS, and says:
That there is a shortage in the ISL
ands of the usual food supply is I'M
doubtedly true, but have been sur
priSed to find thus far how little real
famine or hunger there is. ! have not
received a call from a single provin-
cial governor for rice for free distri-
button in the entire archipelago. In
the province of Batangas, Capt. Bough-
ton, in managing the so-called war
famine fund, has made a very small
gratuitouS distribution of rice, not eX-
ceeding in quantity more than $4,000
worth.
THE action of the commission in di-
recting a proclamation by the civil
governor calling upon the people ev-
erywhere to plant corn, camotes or
sweet potatoes, rice and other quick
ly grown food products had very
wide influence in stirring up the peo-
pie to provide against the coming of
famine. 1t is true that an uneXampled
drought in the islands has prevented
this planting from being as product
i've as it otherwise would have been
and that the locusts, too, have inter-
fered with some of the crops, but on
the whole I have been greatly surprised
to find the suffering so much less than
we expected it to be. 1t may be that
in May, June and July we shall have
calls for aid, but think that we shall
be able promptly to respond to them,
especially now that 100000 have
been appropriated for the purpose.
Ravages of Rhinderpest.
1.-THE most serious feature of the sit
uatiOn is the loss of the cattle from
rhinderpest. 1t is not feasible to bring
cattle into the islands without making
sure that they will not catch the rhin-
derpest after coming here and die
from the disease. The fields of the ISL
ands are infected with rhinderpest, so
that cattle from the other islands
brought here are almost sure to have
the disease. 1t is necessary, Therefore,
that all cattle brought here have
serum injected into their veins which
will render them immune for three or
four months and at the same time in
ooculated with the rhinderpest virus,
which renders them immune for five
years and probably longer. We have
made a contract for the delivery of
10000 carabaio in the islands with the
permanent immunization. These are
to be brought from the Yang Isl val
ley in China.
Il am unable to see that the govern
ment transports could be made useful
to US either in the transportation of
rice or cattle. We can charter steam
ers adapted to our purpose at per-
haps one-fourth or one-fifth of the
cost Of operating the transports as
proposed by the lieutenant general of
the army. We have some twelve or
fourteen coast guard vessels which can
transport rice quickly to any part of
the archipelago, and we can purchase
rice in the Orient at a much cheaper
price than we can bring corn or wheat
from the United States.
Broke the Rice Corner.
''The rice which we can thus bring
to save the people from starvation is
the food which they are used to eat
ing, whereas they would have to be
taught to eat wheat. 1t is exceedingly
important that we shall not pauperize
sary gratuitous distribution of rice.
In anticipation of a corner in rice. we
made a purchase Of rice involving
100000 gold. We did succeed In
breaking the corner and keeping down
the price of rice, and should the prize
advance again, we may have to do
the same thing again. We have MD
the rice in various parts of the arkhS-
nRid nearly of NIB
merchants in that neighborhood in
sisted on forcing the price beyond
what was reasonable
The purchase of cattle and the
landing Of them in the islands are at
tended with great difficulty for the
reasons that I have stated. We can
not hope to bring into the islands as
many cattle as have died. We can only
hope to bring in a sufficient number
to keep agriculture going. The price
at which we have contracted for the
first $4,000 is $88 (Mexican), delivered
in Manila, completely immunized We
hope to be able to make purchases of
our own at a somewhat lower price,
though hardly less than $50 (Mexican).
II think generally the statement Of
facts in the report of the lieutenant
general IS correct, so far at least, as
the dreadful depression in agriculture
by reason of the loss of the cattle is
concerned. The remedy which he sug-
gests by the use Of the government
transports, however, I do not concur
in. The danger from famine has not
been as great as I supposed it was,
and as the lieutenant general was JUS
titled in supposing 1t was from the
reDOrtS which he heard
Another Transport Necessary.
WASHINGTON, D. G., June S.-The