The Washington times., 1908-01-02
Philippine Trade May Be
Given for Exclusion
of Coolies From
This Country.
President Said to Be
Willing If Taft Will
Agree to Propos-
ed Plan.

! Something very big. very important
and very striking is going to happen
soon, involving the relations of the
/ United States and japan.
! This statement comes from q high
authority, who Is not only ia a position
/ TO have absolute information, but has
no purpose Of exagGcration.
/ II is understood that while the negC-
| tiations between the two countries have
/ for the moment reached the point
! where agreement seems difficult. yet this
[ IS by no means The end. The fact is,
/ according TO well authenticated report
/ that an entirely new element is 10 be
/ brought into consideration, ana is to
( provide the basis for an agreement
Open Philippines to Them.
This new factor. IN short, is en- ar
rangement for commercial union be
tween Japan and the Philippines, while
continuing the present political union
between the United States and the is
lands In other words, Japan would
open her ports to free trade with the
islands, and We would open the Phil
ippine ports 10 free admission OF Japa-
Eese goods.
big. free market which they have been
denied In the United States, and would
be benefited greatly. The fears OF Ger
tain American interests lest free trade
with the Islands might come some day
and inJure interests at home would
end; Japan would get the benefit of an
neXing q promising trade, and everybody
would be satisfied.
There has been intimatiOn for some
weeks that this novel scheme was under
discussion between tie two countries
II is now pointed cut that Speaker
Cannon gave the scheme a vigorous
boost when he made up his Ways and
Means Committee for this Congress.
Cannon Packed Committee.
He packed the committee against the
Philippine reciprocity bin so that there
is almost no possibility OF The meas
ure being reported. Last Congress it
was reported and passed the House.
This time the Speaker has put on the
committee two beat sugar members
Fordney of Michigan and Bonynge OF
CoIorado-and two other rank stand
patters-Calderhead Of Kansas and
Gaines Of West Virginia.
Nicholas Longworth also went on, ana
is supposed to favor the reciprocity
measure. lie is the only satisfaction
the reciprocity advocates get in the
makeup OF the committee,
At the same time that this committee
is so handsomely set up against any
commercial concessions by this country
to the Philippines, along comes news
that the governments Of Japan and the
United states are going 70 bring a new
and striking feature into their negotia-
lions.
Scheme Up to Taft.
There IS excellent authority for the
statement that If Secretary Taft would
yield consent to this proposal the Pres
ident would be well satisfied with it.
Some squeamish people think such an
arrangement would only pave the way
to absolute cession of the islands to-
Japan. and they don't like It; others
think Japan would ultimately seize
them II such an arrangement were en-
tered into and opportunity given her
to make all dispositions necessary.
But. IN general opinion seems TO favor
the arrangement.
Japan, it is said. would agree to keep
her Iaborers out of the United States.
and would give this country every
guarantee that could be asked. It
would settle at once the japanese dues-
ton. and the problem of doing some
thing for the islands" in a commercial
way. Even If it led finally to japanese
ownership of the islands, it would be
brought about peaeeably and by ami
cable arrangement Danger of war
would be much less, as the matter is
viewed in this light.