Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-04-29
COST MILLIONS
Support of inc Philippine Islands Has Reached the Large Sum
 of $5OO,OOO,OOO
NOW FIGURING IT UP

monumental task has been underta
 ken by the bureau of insular affairs
 of the war department. It is. in ef.
 feet, classification of the expenses
 that may be traced directly to the
 Philippine islands.
 Just what the islands have cost the
 government nobody, curiously enough
 seems to know. Neither the war de- partment nor the treasury department
 is able to throw definite light on the
 subject, with the data now at hard.
 Of course, the account books of the two departments show accurately what the expenses incident to the gregate sum never has been com puted.
 During the last session of congress, an effort was made to obtain certain information regarding the expenses, but for some ineXplicable reason it was blocked by administration con gressmen. Senator Clay, of Georgia, introduced a resolution calling for in formation as to the Philippine ex- penses. In connection with the res Olution, Senator Clay stated that no definite statement ever had been made of the expenses incurred in sup port of the islands, but he had been led to believe that they had aggre- gated in the neighborhood of $10O.- 0OO,O0O a year. Not only in the sen ate, but also in the souse statements were made indicating general De- lief that the amount of money eX- pended by the United States in sup port of the Philippines had aggre- gated an enormous sum, one or two men placing it as high as $500 .OOO,- GOO year. ''
 The last mentioned amount is re- garded as entirely out of proportion to the correct sum. Senator Clay charged that no reports of the expend- itures of the government on the Phil ippine islands account had been made since 1902 and that the reports then submitted were in adequate and in- accurate.
 While his resolution did not pass, it was deemed only proper by admin istration officials that an account of the expenses should be prepared To this end, General Clarence Edwards. chief of the bureau of insular affairs, has issued directions that the con- plete account is to be made up and the likelihood is that it will be for warded to congress at the beginning of the next session.
 Work on the compilation of the &C., count is progressing, but not enough data yet has been obtained that af- lords a definite idea of the amount. It is certain, however, that the ag- gregate sum will be much less than has been guessed and it is pretty we'll assured now that the amount is not increasing each year, as has been stated.
 The account, when completed, will be made up in such a way as to enable the officials to make an ac- curate statement of the cost of the Hispano-American war-which never has been computed in definite fig ures-the cost of the insurrections in the Philippines and the cost of the of the islands so far as 1t has fallen on the American gov ernment. Every item of Philippine expense will be included in the ac- count. and information bearing on the subject will be gathered from every possible source.
 General Edwards is of opinion that the cost of the Philippines to the American government. exclusive of he expenses of the Spanish war. has not exceeded $10,000,000 year. since Admiral Dewey's historic vic- tory in Manila bay. This would in- iicate that the expenses gradually ire being reduced. annually, for it is luite certain that the expenses of the past two or three years have not been 70 great as in the previous years.