New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-21


Philippines and our possession of them
that we were not long ago crowded out
Of China Therefore. we might justly
credit those islands with the bulk of
our Chinese trade. And our Chinese
trade is highly valued. No man in his
senses would propose that we should
abandon it and withdraw our commerce
from Shanghai and Canton and all the
OTTER ports for which we have been
contendng and competing for. more
than hundred years. If he did he
would speedily be swept into silence by
storm of protest.
Yet our trade with the Philippines is
much larger and more valuable than
that with China.
What? Our trade with those 7,7oO.-
600 islanders more important than with
the $4,000 900 of the Chinese Empire
Il is even so, as witness the ilglres
of our exports 10 those two countries
in the year ended June 80. 1913, before
the War Of Nations disturbed the com
merce of the world:
Philippines ...............S2 5 1854, 1913
China ...............-.. zl,3|o,oo7
Thus our Philippines sales exceeded
the Chinese b. more than S4,O0O,00O, OF
Just short Of 90 per cent.
We have heard much about South
American trade 1t is. indeed, OF vast
Importance. both commercially and dip
lomatically. II ought 10 be encouraged
and promoted. Particularly the big
northwest corner of the continent, so
close to us and TO our lsthmian Canal
should be favorte field for our enter
prise. Suppose that somebody should
suggest that our merchants should
scuttle out OF Colombia, Venezuela,
Ecuador and Peru and abandon their
trade TO others-what cry OF derision
and condemnation would he be greeted
Yet our trade with the Philippines /:
greater than with all those four coun
tries put together. Here are the 19lt
figures:
Philippines ............ TS'ioof'' 'u
Colombia, Venezuela, Ecua-
Russia is a vast and populous empire
comprising the major parts OF two con,
tinents and having the third creates
population of all the countries OF the
world. We have long been regarding
il as a most desirable field for com
mercial enterprise. as il IL. Yet our
exports to all the Russias, in both
Europe and Asia. in the year named
were only a trife larger than to the
Philippines. Note the figures:
Philippines ................S so,5o9' %
Russian Empire ........... Zc'4oo'-l IL
The whole Russian Empire took from
us only trifle over 4 per cent more
than the Philippines, while Russia IN
Europe actually took less than those
islands.
British India, continental and insular
is another gigantic empire; the secon'
in the world in population. IL lies
in the same zone with the Philippines
and has much in common with them
Americans consider it well worth whiie
to cater to its trade, despite the com
petition Of the United Kingdom. NO
bodv would dream of voluntarily aban-
donfnp its markets. Yet that whole
stupendous empire, with its 3l5,00O,OOC
souls and bodies, Is of far less COM
mercial Importance to US than our own
islands. Here are the 1913 figures;
Philippines ................s29'5si'oa yS
British India. ............. l5.lOs,Oot
The excess of the Philippines is thus
slO,276,737, or 20 per cent.
Let us remember the West Indies
as we'll AS the East They are rich and
populous. They lie close to our own
shores. Ne have frequent and speedy
intercourse with them by means of
various steamship lines-chiefly under
alien flags. Our commerce with them
is large and profitable. 1t would be
foIlv 10 abandon or to imperl it. On
the contrary. it has long been recog-
nized as the part of wisdom to foster
and promote it in all possible way'.