New-York tribune., 1903-01-08
NEEDS OF PHILIPPINES.
IN APPEAL TO CONGRESS-
The President and Secretary Root
Urge Relief Legislation

Washington Jan THE President to-day
. submitted to Congress the third annual report
of the Philippine Commission, with extensive
appendices. Accompanying the letter of trans
initial was letter from Secretary Root max
ing strong plea for immediate aid by Congress
for the inhabitants of the archipelago. In trans
mitting the report and indorsing Secretary
Roots plea President Roosevelt says:
1 call your special attention to the recon-
mendations contained in this letter of the Secre-
tary of War. l most earnestly feel that the en-
actnlent of the measures already pending in
your body for the betterment of the Philippine
Islands is imperativeIy demanded by the situa-
ton in those islands, and serious calamity may
come from failure to enact them. Furthermore,
| with equal earnestness ask your attention TO
the recommendation of the Secretary of War
in the accompanying letter and urge It's aoop,
tion so that the of money therein specified
may be appropriated for the uses and in the
manner likewise specified, in order that the
present distress in the islands may be remedled-
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
White House. Jan. T. 1903
Secretary Root in his letter to the President
says:
1 beg to ask special consideration of the rec
concentrations of the commission. all of which
have my hearty approval
1t seems to that the conditions resulting
from the destruction by rinderpest OF So per
cent of the carabases, the draught animals or
the island, and the consequent failure OF the
rice crop, followed by epidemic of cholera
are so serious and distressing as TO call for &C
ton by Congress beyond tha1 TOT winch lhe
commission specifically asks. The removal
under the laws of Congress of export duties on
goods shipped from the Philippines to the United
States has ma aterially reduced the revenues or
the island while the duties collected in the
United States upon importattons from the
Philippines. which under the same laws were 10
be turned to the Philippine treasury ana
were expected to make good the dehclt, nave
amounted to practically nothing. At the same
time the decline in the price of silver the eVils
of huctuatiug currency and the impoverlsh-
nent of the people have reduced the govern
ment revenues when they are most needed Ior
relief of the people. think the occasion lot
relief in the Philippines is now greater than II
was in Cuba when Congress approprlated So
100000 for the payment of the Cuban soldiers
out of the treasury Of the United States. or
than il was in Porto Rico, when hundreds OF
thousands of dollars were contributed by the
people Of the United States and more than
81 100000 paid out Of the national treasury IoI
the relief of the sufferers from the hurricane
of August 1899 An appropriation or not less
than 100000 for the relief of the distress IN
the Philippine Islands from the causes wnlch L
have mentioned would be in harmony with the
course pursued by Congress toward the peopie
of the other Spanish islands, and practical evi.
dence Of the sincere interest that the people OF
the United States take in the welfare of the
Philippine people, and of the kindly and gen
erous treatment which they are to receive Pre-
vious experience indicates that such an ~ppfo-
priation could be made the most useful oy CIV
ing the Philippine government olscreuon 10
apply 1t in such proportions as II deems WISE III
the direct purchase and distribution or sale ol
spnnIIes or through the employment OF LABOR IN
the construction of government wagon roaos'
railroads or other public works