The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-14
PORTO RICO VS.. PHILIPPINES.

| mere le hSNiai
which we find in the Cleveland Plain
Dealer; ''No one suggests giving up
Porto Rico Whatever may be the
ultimate fate Of the distant Philip
pines, Porto Rico is definitely and per-
manently American
That is an obvious truth, and it is
truth which sums up the different re-
suits arrived at by a proper policy
adopted by the United States on the
one hand and an improper policy
adopted by the United States on the
other hand,
In the matter Of Porto Rico there
were no barriers put UP TO the ex-
clusion of American enterprise, Amer
lean investment, American industry,
and American capital, Americans went
into Porto Rico just as freely as they
ever went into any Of the Territories
OF the United States, bought what
property they desired, paying the own
ers their price for it, and set on
foot immense enterprises for industry
and production. Tho result Is that
the Porto Ricans are not only prosper
Gus and happy, but they have been
island by the American troops. There
has never been the slightest abatement
in the good feeling Of the Porto
Ricans towards the United States.
There has never been any objection TO
the exploitation OF their resources by
| ID h. ~
Of American money In that island, All
has been open, above board; Ameri-
cans have gone in, have paid their
way, and have given the island a.
prosperity undreamod Of Heretofore.
But what q different policy we have
pursued towards the Philippines! We
have given notice to American enter
prise and American capital that the
Philippines would afford no ground for
exploitation; that the Philippines were
for the tilipinos, and Americans who
invested money in those islands not
only did so at their own risk, but I'M
der the shadow Of the displeasuro Of
the American Government, and the dis
| couragement embodied in our laws,
which forbids American investment so
far as possible. The result is that
American sentiment and American
enterprise have been laboring under a
terrible handicap in the Philippines.
We have not only made small pro-
gress there so far as business, indus
try, and development are concerned,
| hYt prn baun hcap nxrrore11r c,,1.,1
by our own laws and Government.
There is not the slightest doubt in
our minds that if the Philippines had
been treated the same way that Porto
Rico has been treated, there would
have been precisely the same result in
the people in their attachment to the
| United States, its institutions. and
fostering prosperity and content. We
do not believe that there would have
been any war with the Filipinos if
there had been the same sort of
trlendllness on our own part manifested
| towards American occupancy and
American development in the Philip.
pines that was so manifest in Porto
Rico. But our Government seemed to
turn the cold shoulder on the Philip
| pines from the first, to rate them as a
place unfriendly or alien in locality and
community, not fit to be American
and yet ruling out the best possible
means Of making them American. If
We had opened the door to American
enterprise and investment in the
Philippines prior to the Aguinaldo
emeute, and had given Aguinaldo and
all concerned the proper notice that
no foolishness by way Of creating an
Independent and hostile government
would be permitted, there would have
been no war between the American
troops and the Filipinos But our
officials in the Philippines gave a seem
ing consent to the organization of
the Aguinaldo government by looking
quietly on while it was forming, with
ont giving a word of warning; indeed
they were not sure they could warn. This
was quite naturally taken by the Fill.
pino people as American consent to
their Independence But, of course, we
did not mean that, although our nom
action seemed to mean it. Our dictum,
however. in preventing the acquisition
of land and the exploitation of the
island by Americans gave the Filipino
people from the first to understand
that we did not intend it for an Amer
lean community, and that we intended
to release our sovereignty at such time
as it pleased us. The result has been
a tentative condition in the Philip
pines from the first, that has been
antagonistic to American ideas and
that has prevented the formation of a
real American sentiment; for the
, Americans had reason to distrust any
permanent tenure OF occupancy; they
were barred from investing their
money in Philippine property and
building up big centers OF industry,
except under inpracticable limitations,
, We are confident that if the bars
should be let down and opportunity
J for American investment and develop
ment in the Philippines were opened
precisely rs they were opened in Porto