Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-27

7
American government can only remain
in the Islands long enough to educate
the entire people. to give them a Ian
guage which enables them to come into
contact with modern civilization, and
to extend to them from time to time
additional political rights 50 that by
| the exercise of them they shall learn
the use and responsibilities necessary
TO their proper exercise. independence
can be granted with entire safety to
the people
IT have an abiding conviction that
| the Filipino people are capable of being
taught self-government in the process
of their development, that in carrying
out this policy they will be improved
physically and mentally, and that. as
they acquire more rights. their power
/ to exercise moral restraints upon them
selves will be strengthened and i'm
proved. Meantime they will be able to
see, and the American public will come
to see the enormous, material benefit
to both arising from the maintenance
of some sort Of a bond between the two
countries which shall preserve their
mutually beneficial business relations.
mo one can have studied the east
without having been made aware that
in the development of China. Japan and
all Asia, are to be presented the most
important political questions for the
7
of trade between the occident and the
orient the having such an outpost as
the Philippines, making the United
states an ASiatic power for the time,
will be of immense benefit to it's mer-
chants and its trade. While ] have
always refrained from making this the
chief reason for the retention of tho
Philippines, because the real reason lies
in the obligation of the United States
to make this people fit for self-gov-
eminent and then to turn the govern
ment over to them. I don't think it i'm
proper in order to secure support for
the policy, to state such additional
| reasons.
Not for independence
Though bearing the name of imme-
date independistas, the members of
the controlling party of the assembly
are far from being In favor of a policy
which those words strictly construed
| would mean. Moreover, the recent
election held, since the assembly was
organized, in which fifteen progresista
and fifteen nationalist governors were
elected, is an indication that the ma
! tionalist feeling is by no means so
overwhelming as was at first reported
when the returns from the election of
the assembly were published in the
press
1.-THE fact that Filipinos are given an
opportunity now to take part in the
forming Of the governmental policies in
the islands, will / hope satisfy many
of them that the United States is I'm
earnest in attempting to educate them
to self-government, will so occupy their
ambitions and minds as to make the
contention for immediate independence
more of an ideal than of real issue,
will make more permanent and lasting
the present satisfactory conditions as
to peace and tranquility in the islands,
and will turn their attention toward
the development of the prosperity of
the islands by improvement of its ma
terial conditions and the uplifting of
the people by their education, SANTA
ton and general instruction in their
political, social and material RESPONSE
bilities.
There has been in the United States
in the last year a recurring disposition
on the part Of many of the press and
many public men to speak of the Phil |
ippine policy as If foredoomed to fail
ure, and the condition Of the islands as
a most deplorabie one. NO one who
knew the islands in 1900, and who has
visited them during the present year
and especially during the meeting of
the assembly can honestly and fairly
share such views. To one actually re-
sponsible in any degree FOR the present
conditions by reason of taking part in
the government Of those islands, the
changes made and the progress made
under the circumstances are most
gratifying.
Cost of the Present Government
1.-THE most astounding and unfair |
statements have appeared in the press
from time to time and have been ut
tered by men of political prominence
who should know better, in respect to |
the cost to the United States of the
Philippine islands. The question of the |
cost of the islands to the United States
as affecting its future policy cannot
of course include the cost of a war
into which the United States was forced
against its will. and which whether it
ought TO have been carried on or not,
was carried on and was finished more
than five years ago.
THE only question of cost that is
relevant to the present discussion is
the cost to the United States of the
maintenance of the present Philippine
government, including in that the cost
of the maintenance OF that part of the
army Of the United States which is in
the Philippine islands. Nor is 1t fair
to include the entire cost of the army
of the United States in the Philippine
islands for the reason that even if we
did not have the Philippines, we should
certainly retain the present size of our
standing army which hardly exceeds
$4,000 effective men, a very small army
for S0,000,000 people. Moreover, 1t is
worthy of note that the greatest in
crease in the army of recent years has
been in that branch of the service-to
wit, the coast artillery-which has not
been used in the Philippines for some
years.
1.-THE only additional cost therefore
that the maintenance of the army can
be said to entail upon the United
States is the additional cost of main
tanning 1900 soldiers in the islands
over what it would be to maintain the
same number of soldiers in the United
States. This has been figured out and
roughly stated amounts to about $3.50
man or $4,000, 900, together with the
maintenance of 1000 Philippine scouts
at cost of $500 a man. or in all $4,000,
900, which makes a total annual expen-
diture OF $5,000,000. The United States
at present contributes something, per-
haps 100000, to the expense of the
coast survey of the islands. With this
exception, there is not one cent ex-
pended from the treasury Of the United
states for the maintenance of the gov
eminent in the islands The additional
cost of the $4,000 men in the islands,
figured above at $3.50 man, includes
the cost Of transportation and the adj
ditional cost of food supplies and other
matters.
Cost of Fortifications