The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-22
COST OF THE PHILIPPINES.
Tic Islands Are. to an Exceptional Dc.
gree. f-supporting.
New York Tribune.


The recent statement of the chief OF
staff that the cost of maintaining the
army in the Philippines. in excess Of
what the cost would have been had the
troops been maintained in this coun-
try, has amounted to sl67,i66,4O3 is
being widely printed. but seems to he.
inisinterpreted. The figures given row.
or the cost not only of the military
but of the conquest Of the
philippines. which was properly "A part
OF the expense of the Spanish war. and.
moreover. the entire cost OF construct
ing fortitications. etc. for the protcc-
tlon of the military base which this
country has held ii important to rs-
fhhlish in the archipelago.
Obviously the expense of establish
ing an! maintaining n military base in
the far east should be treated as dis
tinct from the cost to the. United
one would think Of including tho cost
OF IN" Qualifications. dry docks. etc., at
Pearl Harbor in n caluculation of the
cost I" the United States of admins
t"rins the affairs Of Hawaii. Accord
ing to the military authorities. the base
in the Philippines is an asset rather
than Il liability. and it would have
ieen established had that been posi-
Die even " the United States had not
"@Sj w WV " lillJc!iSc SC Il result
OF the Spanish war.
n cost of putting down the Agui-
naldo Instruction and subduing the
hostile F%ilipinos. as has been said. was
d part OF the expense Of the Spanish
war: In calling for information re-
garding the cost of maintaining the
troops in the Philippines. as compar-
ed with maintaining them in the Unit
cd states. congress probably wanted
I9flnifn lfIIIrES u,tir1, S,.<,r7 l,.
Guided both the sources of expense
noted. But it so framed it's question
as TO call for Il much broader and less
definite statement. and unfortunately
there is nothing in the reply of the
chief Of staff to afford the information
which would be of most interest to
those anxious for the facts.
The Philippines are. to an cxccp.
tional degree. self-supporting. All the
expenses of the island are paid from
their W revenues. and they.do no,
even enjoy the benefits Of The federal
postal service. judiciary. lighthouse
service, agricultural department, etc,
as is the case with Hawaii, Alaska and
Porto Rico. The ony cost to the fed
eral government Of retaining the
Philippines is the difference in the ex-
pense Of maintaining 1900 troops
there and maintaining them in this
country and the expense of transpor.
tation. Nor ran all Of this properly
be charged to the. Philippines, for the
military base there would have to be
garrisoned. as will the military posts
on the Isthmus of Panama.
There are no figures available to
show just what the comparative ex.
! pense Is, but it is noteworthy that the
cost Of ratiOns for the troops in the
Philippines is "a IL cents q day, az
compared with 20 3-4 cents in the
United States mi 1873 cents in Alaska
Roughly computed. the additional cos,
for rations would amount to abou,
$107.5s7 a year for the 10000 troops
to which something would have to BIZ
added for the maintenance OF barrack,
and quarters and for transportation
| At this rate 1t would take some tim
to roach any such figure as 1857, O0O,.
600.