The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-11-17
COST OF THE PHILIPPINES.

L
The War Department has recently. at
the call of Congress, computed the cost
OF the occupation of the Philippine is
lands since December s. 1898. the day
of the signing of the treaty of Paris
Some cost had been incurred prior to
that time in the capture of Manila
by Admiral Dewey. and in the shipping
or troops for the occupation of. that
city, But, emitting those preliminary
expenditures, the War Department
finds that the total cost of the occupa.
ton of the Philippines since the date
mentioned has been &l67 1856 ,40a.
These are large figures And what
nave we received 20 Justify the cost!
LII must be confessed that the crodit
side of the ledger does not show very
much But we have only ourselves to
blame for this. because by our own leg.
lslatioD, we shut out American enter
prise and capital from the development
Of the Philippines; we prevent the
Utilizing of the vast and enormously
rlch forests of that region; we prevent
'hc acquisition OF land in paving guam
tltIcs by any large undertaking: we do
not even hold out any Inducements for
the building of shipping for the coast.
wise trade Of the islands: while. as
to development Of the interior, if any.
one undertakes to get land enough TO
establish sugar plantations, to obtain any
tracts of land worth while for any pur.
pose, or to enter upon any productive
industry on a largo scale, there is
congressional investigation, all sorts
OF threats of what will he done about
1T, and the terror Of Congressional in.
Vcstigation, prosecution in the courts,
and all discouragemcuts possible to
lace any one who would undertake TO
do anything in an Industrial, CONNER
ciaI. or productive way on a large scale
in the islands
II we had thrown open the islands
10 American occupation and dcycIon.
ment precisely rs has been done in the
past in our home territorial areas. we
would have had by this time in thc
Philippines such an enormous develop.
ment such Il mighty progress, such an
extensive commerce, as would have as.
tonished the world. As it is. our effort
mas been from the first, both through
legislation and administrative action.
TO hold the Philippines stationary. to
prevent the application of American
energy and executive skill in any ii-
rcction in those islands. We have. con
scqucntly, Philippine problem on our
hands which. was entirely needless.
There Is no more reason why we should
have It Philippine problem on our hands
as an economic proposition than that
we should have had such a problem on
our hands in the case of the Indian
occupants of the extensive areas in our
own country. We have had an Indian
problem, TO be sure but moi an economic
one; military problem from time to
time. which has cost us good deal
of blood and money, but never an
economic problem. American enterprise.
American. capital, American energy and
industry, have been allowed to do their
perfect work heretofore in the opening
and Development Of the area of the
United States.
lust so we might have done in the
Philippines if it had not been for our
own restrictive legislation and admins.
tration, "The Philippines for the Fill.
pinos,' has been our motto. a destruc.
tive one TO ourselves and an injurious
one for the Filipinos, There would
have been no Philippine problem if We
had opened the islands TO American OK.
ploitation as we ought to have done:
there would have been no immense
balance with respect TO the Philippines
on the wrong side of the ledger. The
Philippines would have paid if VIC had
allowed them TO pay. We have for.
hidden them to pay; and therefore we
have borne the cost It is lust that
we should bear this cost, inasmuch as
our legislation has been aimed chiefly
against ourselves and secondarily
against the Filipiuos
With American enterprise and push
having full liberty and scope in the
Philippines, Iust as they have had
heretofore in the United States terri.
tory proper, and az thev have had in
Porto Rico. there would have been such
development of industry and produc.
tivencSs in the Philippines ms would
have astonshed the world. But we
have represscd that in the Philippines.
precisely rs We have represscd it il
Alaska, and are paving the cost.