The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-28
(PhiladcIphia Enquircr.)

Probably the average American cit
izen is ignorant of the fact that Uncle
Sans insular possessions number
some 5000 tropical and semi-tropical
islands. These great colonial posses
sions are not. as the occidental mind
is inclined to believe, mere stretches
of sand and palms and jungle. sparse
~ inhabited by vaG tribes. Some
of the islands. it is true. are simply
coral reefs. too small to he habitahle,
set in the midst of the South Pacific.
But some. on the other hand. arc
giant tracts of land. Luzon. in the
Philippines, the largest. has an area
equal to the state Of Ohio. The total
area of the islands is ahou, 12G. 600
square miles, equal to New England,
New York. New jersey. PENNSYLVANIA
and Delaware. The population is about
10000. 900. Indeed. the islands are
anything but sparselN settled. In Por-
to Rico. for instance. the population
per square mile is thirteen times THAI
in continental United States; in the
Philippines nearly triple.
Most of he islands. including. Of
course the dominant Philippine group.
We're acquired in 1895 after the Span
ish war, hut some of the little gllano
islands scattered through the Pacific
have tloated the American flag since
the fif1ics. Bakers island. a little
patch in longitude 176 leagues. jus,
north of the equator. WAS the first of
these to he acknowledged hy the Unit
cd States in 1855. The Hawaiian isl
ands came voluntarily under the SON.
e%reientN of Uncle Same in 1898.
The Philippines are large enough to
he q rountrv in themselves, or, rather.
several countries, for nowhere in the
world is there a greater tumble al
larguag as and races. The natives Who
live in Manila, a city of half a million
inhabitants. surrounded by all the
comforts and luNuries of civilization.
bear little resemblance to the savag
tribes of the Suln seas, naked as the
cavenoen and scarcely less primitive.
many of whom still indulge in human
sacrifices and ONE of whom are head
hunting cannihals. Indeed, these
startling differences among the Fill
rinos have caused Uncle Sam to es-
tablish two different forms of govern
n"nt. The more civilized portions Of
the ARCHIPELAGO have a large measur
of Self-eoNornmcnt. with a native as
snmhlN. i'lt n strong arm is still need
ed TO curb the tribes Of part of Min
danao n h southern islands.
tncia sam has not citizens as prin1-
i'iN' - NV IIi'lilitlS W some OF iflt
tribes in the Philippine group. Ha-
Waii. which has been a territory for
more than Il decade. is pretty thor
oughlv Americanized and so is the
newer colony of Porti Rico. Guam
and the islands in the Samoan group.
including Tutuila and Hanna. are typ
ical @outh Sea islands.
ONE Of the O interesting of Uncle
sam islets, by virtue of IFS position.
is tn" Midway. a few acres of coral
sand stuck in the Very midst of the
Pacific. II is a c. bile station and IFS
only Inhabitants arc q score or more
Of attendants for that link in the Ions
stretch of wire that binds America
with tho far east. once in n month a
little boat stean1s mp from the Samoan
group with newspapers a season old.
bun the eXiles on the Midway get some
news of the big world every day over
The cable. They are practically all
Americans.
All of Uncle Sans island groups
have developed rapidly under Ameri-
taught the islanders the modern prin-
ciples Of sanitation and hygiene. re-
dnced the death rate. built good roads
and established the model colonial
schools of the world. The prosperity
Of the groups has benn n truly Won
derful growth. In Porto Rico ter years
ago yearly exports and imports
amounted to s17.500, 00n. Today they
are 7S,160.00o. OF this great trade
lightweight per cent is with the Unit
ed States. as compared With sixty per
cent a decade ago. The Philippines
show a corresponding increase. The
United States has fostered trade with
the islands by admitting their pro
ducts duty free. so that the