The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-28
URGES AID TO FILIPINOS Roosevelt Sends Message
 to- the Senate. IS DANGER OF FAMINE Necessary That the Tariffl
 Bill Be Passed. Governor Taft and Vice Governed Wright Unite in Making the -Rs- commendation--Conditions are Growing Worse
 

Washington, Feb. N.-The Presadml sent the following message to the senatae1
 T have just received a cable frorn Governor Taft which reads as foiiown1
 Necessary for passage House tax1n bill most urgent. The conditions of proei ductive industry and business considsreI ably worse than in November. the daka a.o14 last report and growing worse sacl1 month. Some revival in sugar. tobacooI prices due to expectation Of tariR Iaui The interests of Eslipinos In sugar an63 tobacco extensive and failure of the htI1i will blow in face of those intarpsks. Nunn~i ber of tobacco factories will have to cDoa@4 and many sugar haciendas will be put u2I for sale at a sacrifice if the bill will no1 pass. Customs receipts have fallen th1z month one-third, showing decrease o& purchasing power of islands and general business stagnant. All political partie& including labor unions most strenuous tX petition for tarif bills. Effect of It's falk& ure are very discouraging.'
 Endorsed by Wright.
 ''vice- Governor Luke Wright endorsed in the strongest manner all that Covers nor Taft has said and states that he has the gravest apprehension as to the daxn- age that may come to the islands if there is not a substantial reduction in tari< levied against Philippine goods. coming into the United States. l very earnestly ask that this matter receive the imma- diate attention of Congress and that tho felief prayed for be granted.
 "As Congress knows, a series of caianf- ties have befalien the Philippine people. Just as they were emerging from nearly six years of devastating warfare. with the accompanying destruction of property and breaking up of the bonds of social or- der and the habits of peaceful industry. there occurred an epidemic or rindcer pest, which destroyed % per cent of the carabo.s tfIs Filipino cattle, leaving the people without draft animals to tilI the lands or to aid in the ordinary work of farm and village life with the extent of the disaster can be seen from tho fact that the surviving animals have increased over tenfold in value. At the same time peculiar oriental horse disease became epidemic. further crippling transporta- ton. The rice crop. already reduced by various causes to but fourth of its ordt- nary size. has been damaged by locusts so that the price of rice has nearly doubled.
 Danger of Famine.
 Under these circumstances, there ie imminent danger of famine in the isl- ands. Congress is in course of generously appropriating three millions dollars to meet the immediate needs but the indis- pensible and pre-eminent need is the hes urrection of productive industry from the prostration into which it has been thrown by the causes above enumerated. I ask action in the tariff matter not merely from the standpoint of wise governments policy, but as a measure of humanity in response to an Appeal to which this great people should not close it's ears. We have assumed responsibilities towards the Philippine Islands which we are in honor bound to fulfill. We have the specific duty of taking every measure In our powa CT to see to their prosperity. .
 The calamities which have befalien as above enumerated could have been averted by no human wisdom, They cannot be completely repaired; but tha can be greatly allevtated and m permanent basis of future prosperity as4 sured if the economic relations of the isl. ands with the United States are put upon B satisfactory basis.
 Theodore Roosevelt. White House. February 27. 1sN." .}