The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-14
MR.. TAFT Nv, TIE PHILIPPINES.
\ Correspondent Reviews and Crtticiaes
our General Policy IN the Islands.

\ Correspondent Reviews and Critioises
our General Policy IN the Islands.
To THE EDITOR or THE SuN--Sir: Rumors
which appear to spring from responsible
sources indicate that Secretary Taft's trip
to the Philippines was made little short
Of absolutely necessary by the conditions
existing In the islands. This does not
mean that there IL imminent danger OF mn
extensive uprising. That Ia most improb-
able. although among the 7,500,0co people
Of the different islands local outbreaks
are at any time possibility. But the
general condition there IL reported az 30
unsatisfactory that a personal investiga-
ton by Mr.. Taft was deemed advisable.
Senate Document No. 304 OF the Second
Session Of the Fifty-eighth Congress bears
the title What Has Been Done in the Philip
pines 1t is q pamphlet Of thirty-nine
pages. Its rehearsal Of our achievements
Is devoted entirely to the story Of the estab-
lishment and the administration Of govern
ment. 1t sets forth the system inaugurated
and the work OF the various departments
and branches carried on under It, It tells
nothing OF what has been done In the way
OF industrial development. This feature
is omitted for the reason that practically
nothing has been done In that direction.
Mr.. John Foreman, who has long been
recognized as a standard authority on
Philippine matters, has gone 30 far as to
assert that even the public work which
has been carried on has been done in Amer-
can rather than in Filipino interest, though
paid for with Filipino money. In view
OF England's experience with q similar
In tv,A k-I IL knkA nnI
Of Lord Cromer's notable work in Egypt.
there Is opened fair question whether
in our Philippine enterprise we have not
paid too much attention to systems OF gov
eminent and to administrative processes
and far too little attention to economic
development.
In an address delivered In Manila on
Dec. II, 1908, Mr.. Taft. then Governor OF
the islands, said: Civilization follows
material development" He also said:
Nor is It to be expected that capital can
be invested here unless 1t is assured OF an
adequate return Accepting Mr.. Taft's
own argument, It may be asked what has
been done for the material development
which precedes civilization, and what has
been done to attract properly safeguarded
investment OF capital A report Of the
Bureau Of Insular Affairs, printed as a
Senate document, makes no mention OF
anything whatever. Writing In the Con-
temporary Reviev for September, 1904, Mr..
Foreman, whom Mr.. Taft has recently
called Shanghai rooster says: Nothing
whatever has been done, under American
auspices, in a wealth producing direction
This statement il generally supported
by other authorities, among them MIR.
Aleyne Ireland, perhaps the best qualified
specialist on colonial affairs Of the present
time. He says that since the American
occupation many hundreds Of people have
been to the philippines, anxious to invest
capital in productive industries, but they
have been driven away by the conditions
which they found there, one Of these con-
ditions being the existence of laws which,
In the language Of the Philippine Com
mission itself, are practically prohibitory
upon such enterprises
Last year Mr.. Victor s. Clark was sent
to the Far East to study labor conditions
as q special agent Of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor. In his report on
conditions in tho Philippines he says:
"Our general success In increasing tho
Welfare Of the Filipino people must rest
upon material and moral bases which are
grounded in industrial development.
The form Of government we create ia i'm
material, and even its administration OF
secondary Importance, compared with the
way we employ the people. A govern
ment may be ideally constituted and hon.
eetly run, and the citizen remain machine
at the end Of hoe handle Mr.. Ireland
has expressed similar opinion In the fol-
lowing terms: Broadly speaking, tho
American policy in regard to tho control
and development Of the Philippines Is
the exact opposite OF that adopted by every
other nation, in that political development
has been taken as the standard Of attain
mont instead Of industrial development,
In opposition to the universal experience
Of mankind that the latter has always
preceded the former
The people OF the United States, entirely
without experience in the government OF
colonies, find themselves with the Philip
pines on their hands. They have sought
to establish an ideal system OF colonial ad-
ministration. England, after several gen.
erauons Of wide experience, has decided
that success In colonial administration lies
In opening trade opportunities. In getting
the people Of her dependencies busy and
In keeping them busy. Twenty-Five years
ago she took control Of bankrupt Egypt, with
its ignorant and poverty stricken millions.
She did not essay the establishment Of an
ideal system Of government. Administra-
tive reform has not been neglected, nor
have education and sanitation gone unre-
parded. hut Lord Cromer's special energies
have been bent in the direction Of that
economic development on which, accord
ing to the best authorities, including Sec