The Washington times., 1908-01-27

made permanently inapplicable
to the trade between the ports
of the islands and the ports Of
the United States.
redeeming the Philippine Islands
and making the Filipino people a
self-gOyerning community, 1t could
take no more effective step than a
permanent appropriation OF s2,OO0,-
O0O or 100000 for ten or fifteen
years TO the primary and industrial
education Of the Filipino people,
making ii conditional on the con-
tinued appropriation by the Philip
pine government Of the same amount
TO educational purposes which 1t has
devoted and Is now deTOting aR-
nually TO that purpose.
Filipino Cadets at West Point.
AS IL Is thought that better results
will be obtained II a few young Fill
pinos, especially selected, be appointed
with view TO their being commissioned
officers OF scouts upon graduation. I
strongly recommend that Congress-. by
appropriate legislation. authorize the
appointment OF seven young Filipinos,
or one for about every million Of inhab-
itants OF those islands, as cadets at the
Military Academy at West Point.
When I say that the development
of municipal government in the
Philippines has been satisfactory, l
am far from saying that it has been
without serious defects. All l mean
is that considering the tWOfOId OBJ
ieet in VieW-frst governmental,
second educatiOnaI-th result thus
far with all its shortcomings shows
progress toward both ends and vim.
dicates the course taken.
The result indicates neither that
the FiIipinOs are fitted at once for
complete self-gOTernmeHt nor does
it justify the view that they may
not be ultimately made capable of
complete self-gOTernment by a grad
nal extension of partial self-gOv-
eminent as they may become more
and more fit to exercise il.
The organization and maintenance OF
the central government were directed
not only with a view of its efficiency.
but also TO its educational effect upon
the Philippine people. This IS shown
in the appointment Of three Filipinos
TO constitute three-eighths Of the insu-
lar legislature, as well as by the op-
portunity offered to Filipions to enter
the civil service under a civiI-service
law embodying the merit system. SulI
in many of the bureaus the progress or
FilipiEos TO the most responsible places
is necessarily slow and the proportion
OF them TO be found in the positions
OF high salaries is not as large as S1v -
ought to be IN the near future me
winnowtng-out process, however. IS
steadily reducing the American en-
pioyes in the civil service
The organization of the assembly
is enc of the great steps in the edu-
cation of the Filipino people for
complete self-gOTerEment.
Urges Admission of Tobacco.
While there is reason to hope that the
mining industry may be very much i'm
proved and developed, the future OF the
| islands is almost wholly involved in the
| development Of its agricultural re-
| sources. and the business Of the islands
must necessarily depend on the question
! OF how much its inhabitants can get
/ out OF the ground In bringing about
| the reforms and making the progress
which 1 have been detailing, the Gov
| eminent has had 70 meet disadvan-
| tageous conditions IN respect to agri-
| culture that can hardly be exaggerated
am still strongly of the opinion
that justice requires that the United
States should open Ter sugar and
tobacco markets TO the Philippines.
Railroads Extending.
In my last annual report. set forth
in detail the concessions granted for tbs
I consideration of railroads IN LuzOn,
Panay. Cebu, and Negros, and showed
that within FIVE years we might expect
that. instead of a single line of railway
20 miles in length which was all that
we found when we occupied the islands.
we would have a system with a mileage
OF 600 miles. Work has gone on in fun
compliance with the terms Of the conces-
sions OF the two companies.
/ do not hesitate to pFOphesy that
during the next twenty-five years a
development will take place in the
agriculture and other business Of
the Philippine Islands which will
be as remarkable in its benefits to
the United States and the Philip
pine Islands as was the develop
ment of Alaska during the last ten
or fifteen years.
Any attempt to fix the time in
which complete self-gOvernment may
be conferred upon the FiIipinOs in
their own interest is, think, most
HnMisn.