Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-27
PHILIPPINE TRADE

THERE'S a pretty how dye do. Trade
II is following the flag to the Phil
IL ippines, but it's the wrong flag.
According to the last available report
the Philippines exported to the United
States $40, ,54O755 worth of goods, and
to the United Kingdom only T642, ,443
worth. while from the United King
dom the islanders took $5,52207S worth
of goods, and from the United States,
the country which is supposed to be in
loco PARENTS. they bought only $5,101,-
S86 worth The Philippines, buy more
goods from the United Kingdom than
from the United States, and sell the
United States far more goods than they
sell the United Kingdom. This we sup
pose might be taken as an apt instance
of benevolent discrimination. But
worse remains behind The United
Kingdom is only small part Of the
British empire, and in order to appre
ciate the great benefit reaped by all
the other English speaking countries
from the assimilation of the Philippines
by the United States, it is necessary to
do a little researching and few sums
in addition.
The results are illuminating-perha
startling. In a year the Philippines
imported from the British dominions
S9,O6S. 445 worth of goods. No wonder
the merchants of the British empire are
enthusiastic over the annexation of the
Philippines by Uncle Sam. They have
secured "the lions share" of the Eng
lish speaking trade of the islands, and
when we take into account the fact
they paid nothing for the islands, and
don't expend a cent for garrison troops,
guardian war vessels or official salaries
and expenses, we find the Philippines
are far more profitable to the British
world traders than is any one of the
colonies and dependencies and protec-
torates under the British banner! "An-
much cheaper to let "the other fellow"
do the annexing, if your trade is certain
to follow his flag.
Not only do the Philippines spend
imports as on goods from the dear
motherland, America; but the ingrates
actually sell more goods to the United
States than to the United Kingdom.
The Filipinos manage to dump" on
us $10,540,755 worth in the course of a
year, while to the free trade, unpro-
tected United Kingdom they send only
$7.642,4 ,443 worth.
1t is no wonder the leading exporters
of Britain are thinking of putting a
slab in Westminster abbey to commem-
crate the Boston Tea Party Never
since he went into the far-flung empire
business has the British lion enjoyed
such plum pudding" as is now being
provided for him by the repentant heirs
of the old colonial rebels
Here are some official details which
throw more light on the subject: The
total value of cotton cloths imported
by the Philippine islanders and colon
lists and paid for by them in American
money was $4,754,993. OF this the United
Kingdom received $2,793.372. For SINH
lar goods (and mind you, all the cot
ton was grown in this country the
United States received $780, ,476. Balance
in favor of the United Kingdom, in
respect of an American grown product,
So, 1877, S96. Value of cotton yarn i'm
ported in a year, $1,2S7,54s. OF this the
United Kingdom received $709 467;
Japan, $219, 465.. Value of -four. $94s,O22
United States supplied $59O,923 worth;
Australasia, S411 ,639 Imports of fresh
beef represented $7S4,24O, The cattle
ranchers of Australasia received $734,-
29S, and a preposterous and puzzling So
worth represents the amount supplied
by Japan.
Of iron sheets and plates, the United
Kingdom supplied 1902, S8S worth;
United States, $121. $3.50. From the United
Kingdom came $2SO,254 worth of the
| total Of s374,s47 worth of condensed milk