The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-11
GEN. SMITH ON
TRADE RELATIONS

Governor General J. F. Smith. of the
Philippines was given royal welcome
at Manila upon his arrival there on
the transport Logan from Honolulu.
Previous to landing he was interviewed
by a Manila Times representative and
had something to say concerning at
fairs in Hawaii and the Manchuria.
Getting down to a discussion of sugar
interests, General Smith said:
Zone of the great arguments advanc-
ed by our opponents was that the inn
portation of sugar from the Philippines
would destroy the beet sugar industry
in the United States. They seem to
lose sight of the fact that the beet
sugar industry in the United States
and the cane sugar industry combined,
fail to supply the demand for sugar
in the United States by 100000 tons,
despite the fact that the trade rela-
lions with Cuba. Porto Rico and the
Hawaiian Islands are as liberal as pos
sible in this particular direction.
THE wealth of the Hawaiian Islands
in almost it's entirety is traceable to
the sugar industry and to the very
free importation of Hawaiian sugar
into the United States. One of the
chief values of Cuba, a foreign coun-
try in every sense of the word, is the
sugar industry. The same is true with
regard to Porto Rico. These three
places have the freest possible relations
with the United states, three countries
that do not absolutely need the build
ing up that is required in the Philip
pines, and yet these islands, that the
United States has taken up, with these
people, whom the United States has
adopted as it's wards and has promised
to care for and build into prosperous
nation, are left out of all consideration
and treated in the most distant manner
on the same plane as the most foreign
of foreign countries. We do not even
have the advantages enjoyed by some
of the absolutely foreign governments
in trade relations with the United
States. But we will get it. Mark my
words, it is coming, and when the peo-
pie of the United States are thoroughly
familiar with the situation here, and
they are learning more in week now
than they learned in a year before, the
people will force the adoption of proper
measures toward US.
I'VE had a most enjoyable trip across
the Pacific. The water was smooth all
the way. None of us were much
frightened when the Manchuria struck
gers were about as cool a lot as I ever
saw. There was no panic or confusion.
When 1 came on deck at daylight ev-
erybody was dressed and waiting cooily
to leave the ship, if necessary, to stay
on, if the damage proved small. Our
skipper, Captain Saunders, was placed
in very unfortunate position. The
headlands were obscured by a squat
just as he was about to take his sight
for the course, as understand it. The
ship was slowed down and was just
moving through the water. When the
squat lifted we were right on the reef.
The engines were reversed at full
speed and every effort was made to
prevent our striking.
Captain Saunders had been at sea
forty-five years and had never had a
casualty. He lost everything, he pos
sessed in the San Francisco earthquake
and fire. and now, under the rule of
the company, he will lose his ship.
Mrs Smith and I did not leave the
ship until twelve hours after she
struck the reef. The Captain put
everybody ashore when he found he
could not. get off. We were taken fif-
teen miles overland and finally landed
in Honolulu. We have had an excellent
trip from Honolulu.
"All the passengers on the Manchuria
sympathized with the Captain and are
not disposed to put any of the blame
for the accident on him. I am glad to
hear that the Manchuria will be saved
When we left she had not leaked a
drop, the outer bottom being the only
part of the ship that was damaged.
There is a space of six feet between
the two bottoms, / am told, and the
ship rests on the reef on her outer
bottom only.
"I am glad to get back to the Philip
pines and the Philippine people. 1t
seems like getting home once more.
We have had a pleasant vacation, and
now to work"