The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-12
no POSTER eHILIrrINE TRADE.
visit of Distinguished Natives Expec-
ted to Result I'm Closer CONNER
cia1 Relations.

week and will spend the next two
months in travelling about the United
states. The visitors represent the
highest types of the Filipino. and they
come here with distinct purpose In
view.
The Philippine Islands have been
the property of the United States for
nearly six years, yet the people of the
two countries know little of each other.
The knowledge that we possess of the
archipelago and its Inhabitants is
gained largely from the official re-
ports of the military and civil author
tiles, from the meager newspaper ac-
counts and the tales of the returned
| travellers The Filipinos know even
Hess about us. They have the vaguest
sort of Impressions about the United
states. our government, institutions
/ and people. OF the vast resources of
| this country as manufacturer and
consumer, of the wealth. social and po-
litical life, the little brown people of
the far off Pacific Islands have only
the most imperfect notions. 1t is to
give them a better idea of all these
things, to bring the Filipino closer to
| the American, to acquaint one with the
/ business and political life OF the other
that the commission Of forty-one Fill
| pinos has been brought to our shores.
4 President Roosevelt and Secretary
Taft believe that the visit of the Fill
pinos will DO highly beneficial in
great many ways. This government
no longer has need for peace agents in
the islands. but what Is wanted is
more intimate knowledge of the COM
mercial wants of the two, countries. to
the end that closer trade relations may
be established. Many millions of dol
lars worth of Filipino trade Is still con-
trolled by the Spanish, British and Ger
mans Ic is believed that this business
|, will pass to Americans as soon as the
natives understand that the factories
of this country can produce everything
they are now buying from Europe at
rates as cheaper and cheaper than those
. quoted by the foreigners.
Aside from establishing closer trade
connections the visit of the commits
sioners will naturally result in improv-
ing the general relations between the
islands and the home government, The
Filipinos will return and tell their
: countrymen of the liberal spirit of this
government and its people. of the kind
ly and cordial treatment they received
everywhere. and OF the general desire
to deal justly and generously with
them.
l The Filipino is proving to be a hust-
2 Ter when IT. comes to booming his ma
tive islands and in finding new markets
r for his home wares. The insular gov
4 eminent set good pace for the larger
governments when 1t appropriated
three-q quarters of million dollars tt
: set forth its industries, manufacture
q and arts at the st. Louis Exposition.
4 Reports from st. Louis are to the eff
/, feet that the exhibit of the Philippine
q Islands is one of the pronounced HIT
" of the fair. The display of native pro
s ducts and manufactures has been q
l revelation, hut the chief attraction ha:
o been the natives themselves Severa
hundred representatives of the wilc
- tribes of the archiepelago are on exhibi'
e ton, living after the crude and savage
n fashion of inhabitants of the mountain:
and jungles of the islands. The mem
! bers of the Philippine Commission real
lied that visitors to the fair probably
: would receive a wrong impression OF
x the people of the archipelago II only
the members of the wild tribes were
exhibited. So IL was determined II
=. send representatives of the better class
= es of natives. Accordingly. the Filipi
= no village at St Louis was increased
by some 400 native scouts who have
Iserved the United States In tho
various provinces. One who has
HAD charge of arranging the timer
= airy of the visiting commissioners. ir
y speaking today Of the possible benefits
from the tour. said: Really. the oppor
tunities for increasing the trade be
tween this country and the islands
growing out of this visit, are withou
number. l know personally that on
= OF the commissioners buys $2.000.0 0t
- worth OF printed goods every year from
" Germany. He is one of the bigges
importers in the islands and has fo
" years bought almost exclusively from
German manufacturers. We propos
9 that he shall see some of the big cot
. ton mills and factories of New England
= and get acquainted with the Yanke'
Ne manner of handling those goods. w
can beat the Germans in PRODUCING
printed cottons. and I shall be mucl
disappointed II this Filipino importe
. doesn't place his next years order II
l. this country.
l., Another of the commissioners is tn
d. head of a firm of importers of novel
10 ty jewelry. He buys half million dol
n lars worth of cheap pins. buckles
a chains. clocks and such trinkets ever.
J. year. He deals exclusively with Frencl
h houses, just as the merchants of Cub
ID did up to two years ago. There ar
l. some jewelry houses in Bridgeport
Conn. and in other New England town
that can compete with the Frenchme
In the production OF wares of this kind
At and the visiting Filipino will have Al
IN opportunity to see them.
r. practically the entire boot and sho
trade of the Philippines in controlle
by Spain. We believe the America
shoe is the best and cheapest made an
hope to convince our Filipino guest
of this fact. Spain is our closest riva
in selling liquors and beverages to tn
In Filipinos. Eight different eountrie
lead the United States in sales of sill
I'd wooden and vegetable fiber goods t
l. the Philippines. China furnishes near
d. ly all the raw material as well as in
creasing quantities of silk thread. Will
- Germany leads in the matter of flan
~ nels and blankets, spun and twille
10 cloth. The United Kingdom sells NOR
iron and steel products to the Filipino
80 than do the manufacturers of the Uni
ted States, although the use of Ameri
&c can carts, cycles, etc, is increasing ev
cry year.
e. II believe that tho trade in all thes
articles, which is now controlled b
&c other countries. can be captured b
the United States, and that we Will ge
a large part of 1t as a result of the Wis
80 1t of the Philippine commissioners"
The exhibit of the Philippines a
St Louis embraces more than a thous
and natives, wild and civilized. OF tn
head hunters there are some SO igor
"a rotes, IS Moros, 80 Visayans. 40 Bogo
hos, 40 Negritos and representatives o
IA a number of other tribes. Four hun
bred native scouts from the Unite