The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-03-04
PERIL OF THE PHILIPPINES.
ISLANDS ARE SOURCE OF CON.
SLANT DANGER TO COUNTRY.
In Case Of War the Archipelago
Would Be Abandoned-lnelud-
ting Purchase Price OF Islands
Have Cost Billion Dollars.

WASHINGTON. March Ex-senator
Culberson has lately made plain to
the country two phases of the Phil
ippine question likely to be of great
value to the democracy in the next
presidential campaign, He showed
during the japanese controversy that
It was the peril in the Philippines
that impelled the president to side
with the japanese as against the Cal
ifornian and also caused the republi- |
can party to take an equivocal a
titude on the exclusion of Oriental
coolie labor in order that California
might be coerced and Japan kept In
n good humor.
BY this time 1t has thoroughly dawn
ed on this country that the Philip
pines are not only a burden as a bad
investment but troublesome incu-
bus and diplomatic peril
Despite these facts, the republicans
expect to keep the islands. This was
brought out by Senator Culberson's
proposed amendment to the Philip
pine agricultural bank bill 10 the
effect that It was not the purpose oil
this country to exercise permanent
sovereignty over the island, but TO
transfer It to the Philippines. on just
terms when they shall have estab-
lished permanent and capable In
dependent government.
This proposition was voted down
in the senate by n strict party vote
with the exception that La Toilette
of Wisconsin voted with the demo
Gratis. The Culberson amendment was
identical in language to one offered
by Senator Bacon of Georgia in 1899.
AT that time there was a tie vote on
tho proposition and it was only de-
feated by the vice-president voting IN
the negative and though the diiier-
Guilty ui caring for Culberson
amendment. however, was defeated
by a vote of thirty-nine to eighteen
not counting the pairs, showing that
a decided change of sentiment mas
taken place in the senate on this
subject in the last eight years. This
is in part accounted for by the rela-
tive increase in the republican mem
bership within that period.
If the original purchase of the Is
lands was n bunder 1t Is the evident
nurnose of the party in control 10
persist in It. The 100000 or s'ooo'-
600 people scattered over hundreds OF
islands 1000 miles from home was
forcibly brought to the administra'
tion's door during the recent Hurry
over possible trouble with Japan The
islands are not only practically I'M
fortified. but according to military
experts. are indefensibe against at
tack or invasion.
What might happen to the Philip
pines in event of war may be gather
ed by a plan drafted by the naval
general board, of which Admiral Dew
CIV is chairman. Information comes
from an apparently reliable source
that at the first sign of real dan
ger. theP hipippines would b. aban'
doned.
According to this plan every ship
I'm the island would be with
drawn in order TO save them from
destruction. The small fleet now In
those waters could not hold out
against the united Japanese fleet and
though steps have recently been Ia
ken 10 strengthen our fleet In the
Pacific. no military authority doubts
that in case OF war in the Philippines
would go.
As to the utility of the Islands
they are practically unfit TO; habi
tatlon py white people. Connie cialll
they are worth to shiphri!lc:s ant
amy contractors prorc of about
IS per cent on an eNpor' trade ran
ging from si,jOO,0O0 to sl2,20O,OO
year and on an import trad, rdnsiri
from $4,000 900 TO s6,OO0,000 year
As Senator Hale expressed 1t recent
~, ,nc whole trade of the Islands Il
worth ABOUT as much as the lrisl
potato crop of one OF the New Eng
land states,
on the other hand, what are the,
costing rs in money? Senator Cla,
OF Georgia recently introduced a re
solution of inquiry on that point, bu
so far the war office has not replied
-. - 10.