The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-12
PHILIPPINE WEALTH.
How the American Taxpayer Can
Develop the Islands.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: I
have read with much interest In THE
SuN an article headed philippines Not
Wanted by Japan" Perhaps Professor
I~yenaga will explain further, for our
benefit here, his statement hat Japan
has no desire for the islands in face Of
the fact that there are some 1000 Jap
ancse on the Island Of Mlndanao alone,
two Japanese companies in this particu-
lar district engaged In the hemp busi-
ness whose laborers are practically all
Japanese, the pearl she'll industry
largely in Japanese hands. and that
the Japanese even in this climate are
better colonists thar the natives. For
he Japanese work with an intelligent
| eye to the future, while the natives
work with perhaps an equally Intelligent
eye on next Sundays cockhght and tho
pesos necessary for a proper enjoyment
Of the universal pastime.
A for Congressman Borland's state
ment Pickles The American taxpayer
has not gained by the acquisition Of
the Philippines and IL was not Intended
he should. The retention Of the islands
was to show the world that an Oriental
people. and a tropical Oriental people
at that. could become Republicans and
Democrats with the best OF EN-. / re-
member no intimation of financial gain
to the American taxpayer. And that
there has been no such gain is the fault
Of the taxpayer, not OF the Philippine
Islands. Has Mr.. Borland ever been
to Java? Does he believe that the
Philippines have not the potential wealth
of that extremely prosperous island' "
the United States. once in the islands,
had frankly decided to develop them
first and educate them afterward. the
..,,,t, ..-,.Il A-.A tAA. "a -atY, bot 4, 90
the American taxpayer and to the ma
tives themselves. Which IL better. the
knowledge OF a we'll filed harder with all
probability that 1t Will remain in that
agreeable state. or the hazy realization
that II was Columbus who discovered
America and not Alexander the Great
after all?
A few days ago a native school
teacher said with much pride that he
was capable OF teaching M TO geometry
and that one OF his courses actually did
include ancient history. ] looked at his
pupils. the children of plantation labor
ers. II was pathetic. but ! curbed my
desire to yell out O what possible
benefit can II be to these people to know
70. a few days what happened some
time u. C.. when there are practical
questions about their " lives on which
they are all too ignorant! Make EN-
realize why the inside OF the Sunday
collar should be as clean as the outside
and you have done something :" II would
have been useless, Of course, because o.
this point tho teacher, being n native
himself. was probably as innocent n
his pupils,
The islands do not pay. but they
could pay marvellously, and with as
much profit To the Filipinos as to tn,
-,orf,.,- All .ksg tina pNarirov
Government will realize some day II
L steps out and another nation step.
in with commercial prosperity in mint
first and education second. And tn
stepping in vii, eventually occur as
necessary sequence TO the stepping out
the Philippines. unlike Mexico. being un
affected by the Monroe Doctrine.
JOHN y. CARRIGAS.
DAvAo. Mlndanao. y. l., August "a.