The Washington times., 1907-10-17

show that there is business waiting for
transportation, for the passenger trains
are always crowded.
In Panay and Cebu there are great
bodies OF magnificent sugar land NegrOS
has not only the best sugar soil. but
hardwood forests equaling IL extent the
timber lands Of Washington and So
gon. while rice, hemp, tobacco. and the
products will increase three tiIut- 8
soon as railroads assure certain returns
70 the planter.
Several years ego. at Arlington Gene
terry, President Roosevelt SAID.
I'VE believe that We can rapidly teach
the people OF tho Philippine Islands not
use of their freedom. When they have
thus shown their capacity for real free
dom by their power Of self government
and not till then. VIII II be possible TO
decide whether they are TO exist indie
pendently Of US or be knit TO US by ties
of common friendship and interest"
Capitalists interested.
Capitalists who were looking toward
the Philippines studied his words close
", and found that the President had
decided once for all to adopt unreservedly
the policy advised by mr.. Taft; the
policy OF preserving American control
Urtl the islands possessed industrial de-
pendability as well as civic capacity.
They did not care to trust money 20
Filipino self-goVernment. With Ameri-
can Government, they had enough faith
in the resources Of the island to expend
millions as fast as they could obtain
material and labor for railroads and
other public utilities.
Extending Railroads.
In the confidence that the policy OF
Roosevelt and Taft was the policy OF the
United States, they laid their plans. To-
day thousands OF native laborers are
, throwing dirt, laying rails, and building
bridges. in addition TO the Manila line
already in operation, plans are faid for
the construction OF 800 miles Of track.
, Involving an outlay of $50, 900. 900, all told
Hundreds of ambitious young Amer
leans are out there learning and teach
lag, infuSing energy into the Filipino
and studying the art Of developing the
| industrial potenuality OF a region al
ready settled, limitless In resources but
5tagnant with tropical lassitude and the
. shiftlessness Of centuries
Keen OnlOOkers believe that the main
I spring Of Philippine Improvement Is "a
/ be railroads and sound monetary eX-
/ change; in other words, certain markets
/ and fun rewards for effort.
/ Filipino statesmanship they look upOI
! as a house OF cards. A Noted critic
1 studying the period of 1850 in America
| said that ne could find little dinerenc,
/ between portrait painters and sigr
/ painters. Men seemed 10 set UP as art
/ lists with no equipment but the desir'
| to paint
! So with Filipino statesmen. They be
| come leaders with no fitness except tht
| desire TO be great. Practical men eXpec
I Of them nothing for a generation ex
cept disturbance OF the processes OF sta
I bic government and obstruction o.
American improvements.
/ Under American laws the industrial
/ field is promising Not yet has II revo
| lutiOnized the islands, but Il has dem
! Gstrated its susceptibility OF uuicl
| cultivation. AS long as American re
Z spOnsibihty insures safety, capital anC
/ energy will push ahead. And therein
/ lies civilization. 1t is hard to ade
/ Guate'y estimate the rate OK wealtl
/ production after a network Of rail
/ roa is is completed.