Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-31
FREE TRADE WITH PHILIPPINES.
Gen. Wood Says Il Is Bound to Come
and Will Be Right.

Boston. Aug. 30.-Measures which
the United States must adopt to de-
velop the Philippine islands are sug
gested by Major General Wood, U. S.
A., VINO was scheduled to sail from
New York, today, on his way to re-
sumo his command of the islands in
Transcript.
Gen. Wood left Boston, yesterday.
after a several weeks rest from an
operation in his head. Gen. Wood ex-
pressed the opinion that there must
be free trade between the Philippines
and the United States that more work
must be provided for the F'ilipinos, and
that Americans must be encouraged
10 go to the islands and embark in
business. The officer said:
The need of free trade is obvious.
We have taken away from the Fill
pinoS their Spanish market and have
substituted nothing in its place. Free
trade will injure no American indus
try The second need is to get the
people back to work in the fields. Our
coming to the islands necessarily re-
suited In the tremendous initiation of
rrices and wages. The United States
poured into the islands many million
dollars Il year for several years and
the result was to raise wages of the
people in way that did them great
harm. Now we want to get these peo-
PIE back to agriculture. If the islands
are to be developed they must do the
labor. The impulse for this must come
from without. There must be Amcri-
can leadership and capital there"
! Speaking Of the need Of Americans
in tile islands, Gen. Wood pointed out
many opportunities for Americans
there, especially in agriculture. The
agricultural possibilities of the island
have not been even touched yet, he
declared. and agriculturally it will be
impossible to cXaggerate the richie:
that exist.
| Gen. Wood praised Spain for the pre-
liminary work Of colonization. Spain
gave the Philippines her religion and Ian
guage and civilization" the officer de
cEtrcd. Spain implanted the Roman
Catholic religion which is today the rc
| ligion of ninc-tcnthS of the people ant
she elevated the status of the Philippine
woman. TIL" work done by the Roman
| Catholic friars in the three centuries
Spain has held the islands was wonderful
and cannot fail to excite our admiration
| and in spite of her many troubles Their
| Spain was continuing the work of Chris
| tianizing the islands when our war cam
| on. Our people do not appreciate gu
| debt to Spain. With Il Christian peopl
to work on we have Il basis upon whicl
| to build"
| cen Wood declared that there was NJ
| military problem in the islands and as
| serted that there was no immediate Pc
| litical problem. He expressed the opinion
| that the work of the American soldiers
| in the islands was by no means ended
Officers and soldiers were assisting il
| every way in educating and helping alOnG
| the natives None of us and none o
the Fiipinos are concerned in their pc
| litical future" concludes Gen. Wood
Our first duty is to develop them ant
advance their industrial end. This car
I've done only by rood will and hearty co
| operation Of all the people. | am SURF
that the only agitation regarding the FIJI
tIrc Of the islands is found i'll this coun
try. ana if that should cease We Ovel
there would hear very little more about
il"