New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-05
PHILIPPINES AN ASSET
A Great Potential Market for
the United States.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: am heartily in accord with tn.
Philippine sentiment Of Minot : Morgan,
whose letter appeared In The Tribune,
but | take issue with his statement that
the islands were "sadded upon the United
States. from which We can gain no ad-
vantage. which Will always re bill ~
expense aud which mav embroil us in u
war with other nations
The undersigned has just returned from
twelve years residence in the islands, and
can therefore lay claim 10 some knowl-
edge OF the Philippine situation.
Few people realize that the islands are
entirely self-supporting and do all their
work through their own revenues. In
fact, they are in advance of an state in
our Union. I'm that they maintain their
own postal service and take care OF their
own lighthouse and coast and Geodetic
survey work. They have over $500. 0Co
on deposit in banks and in their treasury
vaults. and their interest on deposits
alone is over $4,000 per annum.
The only cost OF the islands 10 the
United States is the additional cost for
ltDoGN. II TIE iib0PS WEI
not stationed In the islands they would
bc in garrison In some post In the United
States. General Leonard Wood il au-
thorty for the statement that the cost of
their transportation is more than COM
pensated for by the value OF the add-
tional training they receive. At leas.
twice during the last few years troops
from the Philippines have been drafted
for service I'm China, at a saving In time
and transportation against their being
sent from the United States. \ little over
ten years ago there We're 5000 troops IN
the islands: to-day there are nearer 1000.
and the time ~ not far Off when thar
number can be cut In half
Colonel Cocktails estimates that il will
require 2jo'O troops 10 patrol and protect
the Panama Canal. our si0o.o0o0Co outlet
Ia the Far Eastern market /. we can
afford to maintain 2j.0o troops 10 keep
open the outlet can We not afford to
maintain less than half that number tn
protect the market?
Manila IL fast becoming the distributing
point for the Orient. With China two
days distant Japan three and one-half
the greatest market I'm the world. and one
that last year purchased 100000 600
worth OF manufactured goods of which
this country sold Less than ) per cent.
We need this market. There is no duty
on American goods taken 10 Manila, and
We must make II our distributing poin,
for this market. as England has made of
Hong Kong. France OF Saigon and Ger
many of Tsing-tau.
Under American rule the islands to-
day are enjoying an era Of prosperity.
The island trade has developed from $685.
000 900 the first year Of American occu-
patton to st05. 200. 900 in 1912. This year
it will amount to more than sieo.soo. 600,
and this I'm spite OF the very limited area
now under cultivation,
The trade OF Porto Rico with the United
States. I'm spite OF it's limited area and
with not a 1.-THE OF the natural resources
and population one-eighth that OF the
Philippines. amounted TO sS0.997.946 last
mean trade at least eight times as
great.
The United States purchases $500. 900,
600 "a year or tropical products from for
elsn countries and sells them in return
less than s2'0.OOO,0oO. balance against
us Of $3.50. 100000. These articles pur-
chased. among them coffee aud rubber.
can and are being raised in the Philip
pines. Why not develop our own tropical
country aud reap the benefit OF this trade
And AS to the war question. The quick
est way TO bring OF war Is for us 10
withdraw our stable government and al
, low few foreigners to lose their lives
or property in native instruction. How
long would II take Japan. Germany or
England, all Of whom have great interests
In the islands TO intervene? Would neu-
tralization prevent the eighty-fou odd
tribes, with their different dialects. as
pirations and customs, from cutting each