Evening journal., 1906-10-31

safest and most convenient ports in thu
Pacific.
The insular government has projected q
series Of extensive improvements, which
include the construction Of an effective
breakwater, an ample system Of docks
and a deep-water approach. Vessels will
soon discharge and ship their cargoes at
the wharves. and drydocks at Cayite will
offer all the necessary facilities for re-
pairs. This effort to enable Manila to
profit to the full by her natural advan-
! tages Is well judged and the money in.
vested will unquestionably yield a splen-
did return In the increased trade that
must flow from these facilities and the
operation OF the railroads In course Of
completion.
with the opening Of the Panama Canal
the trade route between the Atlantic
ports Of America and the mainland Of
Asia Will be changed and much OF the
freight which is now borne to the latter
points from Europe by way Of the Suez
Canal may be expected to take the Pa
cidc course. Manila will then lie In the
main route Of Eurasian traffic. and not
n small proportion Of the collecting and
distributing trade OF Hongkong should be
diverted to her.
More than half the people Of the globe
are in commercial proximity TO the Phil.
ippines. A large number OF these peo-
pie are not at present within the estab.
lished zones OF the worlds traffic, but the
opening up Of new systems Of transpor-
tation is constantly bringing extensive
areas into trade relations with other coun.
tries In this fact lies the great oppor.
tunities OF the Philippines. Many Of
their products. present and potential. ara
OF the kind that find a ready market in
semi-civilized communities.
China, the FIRST and always the best
customer Of the Philippines is on the
eve Of great commercial development. Al
ready she Is In the position Of demanding
more Of the products Of the archipelago
than she Is receiving. She is consuming
a constantly increasing quantity Of Philip
pine sugar, and her demand for the In
sular lumber, now in excess Of the pres.
ent ability to supply II, must expand with
the extension Of Chinese railroad con-
struction and the subsidiary operations.
As her Industries develop, China will need
Manila hemp and Philippine coal, and Il
Is not improbable that, with a little en-
fOuldHemenls the lelduu may IN rev
years, be able to supply her with duan-
titles OF clothing material and yarns. On
the other hand, the people Of the Philip
pines, as they convert ever increasing
areas OF paddyland to more profitable
uses, will look to China for greater guam
titles OF rice
1t Is not only to China that the Philip
pines need to turn for trade. Japan and
other countries Will AFFORD desirable mar
kets when the reso-rces Of the archl-
pelago are scientifically developed. II
should be remembered that the Philip
pines have only recently entered the CON-
mercial arena Of the world. The port Of
Manila was opened to foreign trade less
than so years ago and only within the
last decade has the trade OF the islands
been free Of hamperlng restrictions. The
basic conditions are exceptionally favor
able and with their evolution we may
expect to see the Philippines grow into
one Of the most prosperous countries Of
the Eastern Hemisphere.
c. n. FORBES-L LINDSAY,