Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-31
SECRETARY TAFT ON ISLANDS
Addresses National Nillsrs' Convention on
Nations Accomplishments
POSSESSIONS HAVE BEEN GAMERS
Reward of United states Must Come in
Pushing Cause of Civilization
and Increasing Opportun-
ity for Progress.

ST LOUIS, May SO-Before an audience
of miers from all parts of the country, ,at-
tending the mass convention Of the Millers
National federation, and marking the
largest gathering of millers ever held in
this country, Secretary of War Taft this
afternoon made an address at the Odeon
on the topic, Recent Instances of National
Altruism"
The assembly constituted the final session
OF the convention of the federation, which
had invited Secretary Taft to address the
body. President ]. w. Burk> Of Springfield,
O.. presided and introduced former Missouri
Governor E. o. Stsnard a miller Of st.
Louis, who In turn made a brief speech
introducing Secretary Taft.
Secretary Taft's speech.
Secretary Taft spoke of the customs Of
memorial day and mentioned the civil war
as the great epic of the nations history;
then he turned to later Incidents.
He said in part:
ask your attention today. therefore, to
the page OF the nations history covering
the last nine years with the nope OF
showing that there never has been, on
the part of any country, a greater eXhlnl-
tion of pure altruism than that exhibited
by the United States from the beginning
of the Spanish war down to the present
6iateiy affected AS we read the history
of man or a nation, that which exciles
our admiration is courageous action for
v hich no motive can be found save that
Of desire to discharge a duty TO man
kind. study of the conduct of our ma,
tiOn with respect to Cuba, Porto RICO anu
the Philippines, covering now nearly Gee
ade, ought to fill every American WIN
pride. I do not mean to say that there
were not Americans who entered upon the
war or favored the Cuban or the Philip
pine policy from motives of selhshness. ana
tvnFffI, 80 4v,rv 1iVA nI1r
enlarging our dominion from the mere love
of exploitation and empire but the great
oUfy 0 Cnba g peoRle "ess sumeS @ the f burden
of the temporary government of Cuba, and
! the more or less permanent government OF
and assumed the government of the Phil
| ippines, all from a sense of duty only, and
that most reluctantly because they could
not foresee the extent of the burdens which
we were taking up.
The Gain in Cuba.
After discussing Cuban conditions in de-
tail Secretary Taft said:
| In May, 1903, the United States turned
over TO the republic the control of Cuba.
| During the intervention there had been
! held elections for municipal Officers, and
also for the members OF d constitutional
convention. At the instance OF the United
States there was introduced into the con-
stitution what was known as the Plat
amendment by which the United States
was given the right to intervene at any
( time In order to maintain In Cuba gov
{ eminent OF law and order. we tnuS Sc
cured the right to act in support of the
government which we had paid out so much
money and so much blood TO establish.
For three years and a half the republic
of Cuba maintained itself with great ap-
parent prosperity, but an abuse by the
party in control Of it's executive power In
! respect to elections brought on an insur-
rection, which the government of the re-
public had not properly prepared itself to
seeas' seoT in the tRroes Of OFT war tG Which Which, bsie
/ fair to destroy for several years its agri-
cultural wealth and to bring about again
against Spain had produced. Again the
United States interviewed; sent first for
men secured a dsbandment OF the OPP
posing forces and established provisional
government. This it did under proclama-
tion which promised a restoration of the
republic as soon as tranquility was re-
| stored to such an extent as to permit the
holding Of fair election, and the deter
mination of those persons upon whom
government could be properly deynlved.
In this intervention the United States has
already spent about $4,000 600 and will be
put TO possible additional expense of per-
! haps S,000OO0 more. The president is given
authority to receive from the CUBAN treas
United states for the expense Of Of i inter- ere
vention, but II is quite unlikely that in
the various calls that there are upon the
! Cuban treasury for works of Improvement
any large part of these funds thus ex-
pended will be reimbursed to the United
States.
Porto Rican Conditions.
Referring to Porto Rico, the speaker said
There is complete free trade between
Porto Rico and the United States and all
custom duties collected in the United States
on Porto Rican products subsequent to the
date of Spanish evacuation, amounting to
nearly 100000. have been refunded to the
island treasury The loss to the revenues
sion of Porto Rican products is Sis, 900 900
annually. In the making of tobacco into
sugar a considerable number Of the labor
ing class find mechanical employment, bait
the wealth Of the island is directly de
pendent upon the cultivation OF the soil
TO cane, tobacco, coffee and fruit. for which
we in America provide "'h' With
out our fostering beneNe.-L-. puIs island
would be as unhappy and PROSTATE as are
some of the neighboring British, French
Dutch and Danish Islands During the last
two years of Spanish domination the trade
balance against the island was over Si2 =
500 co., while the present balance Of trade
in favor Of the island under American con-
troll is s2,5O0OOO The total of exports and
imports has increased from abouu S25, 900 600
under Spain to f44 100000 under our SOW
ereignty. Al the date of the American oc-
cupation the estimated value of all agri-
cultural land was about $SO.0OOOO0 Now
the appraised value OF the real property in
the island reaches SlOO,o00,OOO
After detailing the work in the Philip
pines, Secretary Taft said:
The Philippine islands have been treated
with less generosity than either Cuba or
Porto Rico, but still a great deal has been
done BY the United States for the Pbiiinl
pines and at a very heavy expense.
| The statistics will show that in the case
of each Of the island governments the rev
enues have been largely augmented under
American auspices and also that the total
OF imports ana exports has been materially
Increased. But the same is true of me ex
penditures. The Americans have given a
more expensive government because they
have insisted on doing more in education.
In public improvements and IN sanitation
II Is easy for a government to be ecODOn-
ical II II does not do anything
ASK PRESIDENT TO PEORIA