New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-01
"ExTR4VAGAECE" At MANILA.

The heroism recognized by some antimpertal-
lists in Mr. Alleyne Ireand's exposure before
Washington audience OF the excessive cost Of
the Philippine government in proportion to the
wealth OF the inhabitants has lost something of
its bloom. This is perfectly well known thesis
of Mr. Ireland. Last fall he was putting it forth
through the magazines, and The Tribune was
commencing it to attention and urging meas
ures to promote Philippine trade and prosperity
so that the FiIipinos might without hardship
have the blessings Of civilized government,
which American public sentiment, most of all
anti-imperialist sentiment demanded for all peO-
pies under our dominion Mr. Ireland has for
many months been saying that the cost Of gov
eminent in the Philippines was 46 per cent Of
the value of their exports, and has not been
mobbed or even scOlded. therefor. 1t was per
fecty safe for him to repeat the statement right
at the seat Of despotism, for there is probably
nobody more keenly alive to this serious eco
nomic problem than are President Roosevelt and
Secretary Taft.
There is not the slightest doubt that our ma
chinery Of progressive government Is too ex-
pensiVe to be permanently maintained for
people in the present commercial state Of the
Filipfnos. There may be some waste due to in
experience and fads but the root of the diff
Guilty lies not there. The trouble. is inherent
in the attempt to provide civilized conditions
trouble in Jamaica and other colonies The Eng
lishman insists on building good roads and Civ
ing the people who make a bare living in a
tropical climate what he thinks are essentials
In the way Of political institutions. Unless the
primitive peoples happen TO be benefciaries Of
an extraordinary prosperity, they become bur-
dened with huge debt With the United States
in the Philippines the temptation is to go even
further than the English, and nobody has en-
&Ha%
seize upon every evidence Of it as an occasion
for complaining of the incompetence of their
country and the wickedness Of their govern
ment
Suppose the United States did try to econo-
mize and give the Philippines a government cost
ing only 20 per cent of their exports? The anti
imperialists would be in a ferment over our
neglect If we gave them poor schools instead
Of the best expert pedagOgues could devise for
their rapid development it would be said that
we were trying to keep them ignorant and un-
civilized to exploit them. If we failed TO send
scientists and establish laboratories to study
their diseases and the improvement Of their
products, we should be reprOached for careless
ness and Indifference to the progress of our
wards Perhaps we have Overdone progress a
trihe, but it is the mistake of too much zeal, a
mistake hardly TO be criticised by the antrim
perialists who have been outraged by the merest
suggestion of any delay in fitting the FiIipinos
quickly for orderly and civilized self-govern-
ment
Mr.. Ireland thinks that Chinese coolies are
needed for the development Of the archipelago
Without them the work needed for commerce
warrantlng a civilized government will not be
done. But are anti+mperialsts, for mere trade
reasons-tO put Manila on a par with Hong
KOng-ready to see Filipinos supplanted in their
own country and the bread taken out Of their
mouths? Are they, on the other hand willing
10 see in operation a system Of forced labor
like that of Java, or any plan which will COM
pei the unwilling Filipino to become q producer
or to sell his labor at price competitive with
that of Shanghai or Singapore? OF course not
They want him to be left to doze under his
banana tree without constraint or competition.
yet to have all the expensive privileges of civil
lied society, and themselves be able to find
fault because he cannot have these things at a
cost proportionate to his production.
The difficulty in the Philippines is simply one
Of proportion. Barring minor mstakes the gov
eminent does not do more than ought TO be done
for the people in the light Of modern knowledge
and their ambitions. They eagerly seek the
schools 1t is not as If we were dragooning
them into a progress which they did not desire.
But along with their ambition is an undeveloped
productive capacity. The exports OF the PhiIin
pines are about S. per capita, while those az
Java are S25 and of the Malay States S44 pcr
capita. If the Filipinos had any such industry
and commerce. the government which now seems