The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-10


How much have the Philippines cost
the United States? What is the
present annual rate of their cost to
use? These questions have doubtless
occurred more than once to every
voter in the United States who fol-
lows the course of public affairs at
all closely and who feels an interest
in that departure in his country's pol
icy which was inaugurated some eight
years ago as one result of the war
with Spain.
Senator Clay of Georgia some days
ago endeavored to get before the SEN
ate a resolution inquiring into the
cost of the Philippines up to the pres
emit, together with the current rate OF
expenses. Senator Lodge of Massa-
chusetts objected to the consideration
of the resolution, saying that all OF
the governments facts with respect
to the matter had been made public
in official reports and were available
to anybody who cared to look them
up.
That may have been true, but it
seems that the items Of cost and ex-
penditure are scattered through a
hundred different accounts in such
manner that it would take an expert
accountant a year to tabulate them
into any sort of comprehensive form.
and even then there would be room
for doubling if he had got them all.
E. 90 ln
eminent actually knows what the
Philippines have cost and are costing,
it has no intention Of taking the pub
lie into its confidence. Senator Clay's
effort to get at the facts seems to have
been effectually pigeon-holed, so that
while the people remain in the dark
with respect to how much of their
money is being poured into the Philip
pine rat hole, the appropriation win
continue
In 1904 Judge Alton B. Parker esti.
mated that the cost of the island up to
that time had been s650,0o0,o00; ex-
Secretary of State Richard Olney esti-
mated the cost at s700,000,000, and
Edward Atkinson, the statistician,
placed the figures at s12o, 100000. Sec
rotary Taft, in speech in October,
1904, made an estimate of 500, 900, 900.
but it has been asserted that the Sec
rotary left out OF his estimate numer-
Gus items legitimately chargeable to
the Philippine budget. Senator Clay
endeavored to collect data from the
published reports to which Senator
Lodge referred him, and according to
government of its occupation of the
Philippines is running between $685.
100000 and s75,000,000 per .annum;
and in the absence of positive and Of
fetal proof to the contrary. Senator
Clay's figures are as reliable as those
of anybody else; probably great deal
more reliable than many of the esti
mates coming from administration
sources
Leaving out of consideration the
thousands of American lives that have
been sacrificed in the Philippines
tion-is it in the least likely that this
country will ever be compensated in
any manner for its outlay? We are
protecting the Filipinos against them
selves and foreign aggression, we are
told; but viii the knowledge of this
deed well done be worth thousand
millions of dollars to us?
1.-The people have a right to know
what the Philippines are costing. It
is their money that is being expended
Senator Clay will be commended for
his effort to obtain the wanted infor-
nation, and the administration will
be blamed for failing 10 supply it.