Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-27
H|L|P|NOS ARE Unfit
President and Secretary Taft in
Report to Congress Say Self
Rule is Far Off
PROUD OF NATIONS ACTS
President Says No Brighter Page in
History of international Dealing
Than Governments Administration
Taft Makes Several Recommend
atoms.
atoms.

Roosevelt. in submitting to congress
the report of Secretary OF War TAFT
on his recent trip to the Philippines.
declares no great civilized power has
Observation-Disclosures the affairs of a
people committed by the accident oil
war to its hands.
IF we had followed the advice of
the misguided persons who wished us
to turn the islands loose and let them
suffer whatever fate might befall
them" says the president. they would
have already passed thru a period of
complete and bloody chaos. and would
now undoubtedly be in possession of
some other power which there is every
reason to believe would not have done
as we have done: that is, would not
have striven to teach them how to
govern themselves or to have devel-
oped them. as we have developed
them, primarily in their own inter-
ests.
Save only our attitude toward Cuba
| question whether there is brighter
page in the annals of international
dealing between the strong and the
weak than the page which tells of our
doings in the Philippines"
The president expresses the opinion,
as does Secretary Taft in his report,
that it will be generation. maybe
longer, before the Filipinos are fit for
complete self government. He con-
ours in Secretary Taft's recommends
tions, which are:
I'irst-That legislation be adopted
by congress admitting the products of
the Philippine Islands to the markets
of the United States, with such rea-
sonable limitations as may remove fear
of interference with the tobacco and
sugar interests in the United States.
Second--That the present restrlc-
=tions be removed as to the acquisition
of mining claims and the holding OF
lands by corporations in the Phlllp-
pines.
Thrd-That further legislation be
passed authorizing the Philippine
government, if it chooses, to open and
conduct an agricultural bank with
capital not exceeding $2,00O.oOO.
Fourth-That the coastwise laws OF
the United States be made permanent
IN inapplicable to the trade between
the ports of the islands and the ports
of the United States.
In answer to the critics who have
made what he terms 1.-The most as
founding and unfair statements in re-
spect to the cost to the United States
of the Philippines" Secretary Taft fig
ures out total annual expenditure OF
$5,OOO,0O0, and he vigorously denies
the failure of the Philippine policy. He
says the severe criticism to which the
policy of the government in the IS
lands has been subjected by English
colonial statesmen should not hinder
pursuit of it in the least. 1T is OF
course opposed to the policy usually
pursued in the English government IN
dealing with native races, because IN
common with other colonial powers,
most of England's colonial statesmen
have assumed that the safest course
was to keep the native peoples lgno-
rant and quiet" says the secretary.
Speaking of trade between the Phil
lppines and the United States, Secre-
tary Taft says it is doubtful whether
there are enough United States vessels
to carry it on, and if rates are raised
trade will cease. He believes corpora
tions may safely be permitted to hold
10000 acres of land, of any limitation
is to be imposed.
On the present condition of the is
lands, the secretary of war declares
peace prevails today in greater de-
gree than ever in their history. He
says the people are loyalty supporting
the government in the maintenance or
order.
81 strongly recommend" says the
secretary, that congress, by appropri-
ate legislation, authorize the appoints
ment of seven young Filipinos. or one
for about every million of inhabitants
of those islands. as cadets at the mil
itary academy at West Point. This
action on the part of congress, would,
in my judgment, tend to further in
crease the zeal and efficiency of a
BODY of troops which has always rem
dered faithful and satisfactory serv-
ices
agency of the army in bringing about
order in the islands must never be
minimiZed: that the hardships of the
campaign it has had to carry on We're
great. At one time in the campaign
against guerilla warfare the report
saws. there were more than 500 differ
ent posts and more than $4,000 men in
arms. He is certain peace could have
been restored in no other way than in
the service rendered by the army. He
saws the American soldiers exhibited
toward the natives Il sympathy by the
character of the warfare they carried
on did not invite.
The report tells of the establishment
by the government of medical school,
the graduates of which will spread ov-
err the islands into localities which
have never known a physician.
The average value Of Philippine ex-
ports. excluding gold and silver coin.
from 1903 to 1907 was $32,270.726. For
the fiscal year ended June 80, the in
sular revenues We're sl1,149,619.25 and
the expenditures $S,4OS,OI2.S4. The to-
tai bonded Indebtedness. according to
the. report. IS s13.50O,OO0.
Secretary Taft says there Is now MOI
question between the government and
the Roman Catholic church unless theI
Aglipyan schism can be said to be in
volved
on the question OF reduction of
the tariff on sugar and tobacco Secre-
tar,- saws.