The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-27
PHILIPPINE LEGISLATION IS
 FuLFILLMENT OF PLEDGES OF
 1900 BY DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Act of Congress Dstinctively Democratic Measure Islands Have Been Serious Liability to United States ;, For Eighteen Years and Now Constitut Great Menace in the East.
(By Representative William

(By Representative William A. Jones of Va, Chairman. House Commit tee on Insular Affairs)
 The Philippine legislation enacted at the First Session of the Sixty
 Fourth Congress is the fulfillment of a Democratic pledge first given in the National platform of 1900, and re- | iterated in each successive platform
 of that party. Indeed, the language l employed to express the purpose of the people of the United States to
 grant the Filipinos their indepen-
 dence as soon as a stable government is established in the Philippine Is-
 lands, follows almost literally that of the declaration of the Baltimore platform upon this subject, and in
 the legislative program suggested by President Wilson he strongly urged the redemption of this. promise.
 The recent Philippine Act of Con- gress, is therefore distinctively a Democratic measure. Although cer- tain prominent Republicans have, in vague and indefinite terms, declared Lit to be the purpose of their party
 ultimately to give the F1lipinos inde- pendence, there has never been an authoritative Republican declaration
 upon this subject. The party itself
 has been, as silent as death in respect to the future political status. of the
 Philippine Islands.
 of American or Philippine interests, this Democratic Legislation is of far reaching and tremendous import. It the United States as well as for the
 0h31inrf,na v.Aor1af Ma
 It is not possible to state with ac- curacy what the l, Philippines have cost the United States in dollars and
 cents. President Taft stated in a
 message to the Congress that this was Ian insolubleI problem." It is safe, however, to affirm that the total cost to the United States for the past IS years has not been much, if anything. less than 8 billion dollars. Although difficult of calculation, it can be de- 3monstrated that the Philippines are now costing us annually somewhere in the neighborhood of forty mill Hons of dollars. Thus it is seen that they, from purely monetary stand point, are. a serious liability to- the United States
 More serious, however. thaff this constant drain upon the revenues and resources of the United States, is the menace which they offer to our peace and prosperity. In the event of war with any. first class naval power, they would constitute our weakest point of attack. That it would be impos- sible tor successfully defend and hold them against Jepan.s for instance. is conceded by our military authorities. It cannot, therefore, be contended that the Philippines are either H-. nancial or military asset to the United States. q
 Although .sincee the 4. establishment of free trafe Between the < United States and the Philippines in 1909 there has been marked increase in the trade between the two countries, it cannot be claimed that the total value of this trade isi from com mercial standpoint, sufhtieSt to jus tify holding them at such An enor- nous cost namely an annual outlay of. $40,000, 900,
 X A statement just issued by the Bureau of Insular Affairs shows that American goods to the value of $23 II 304,367 were imported into the Philippines during the year ending June 30, 1916. This means that the total value of American products sold to the Filipinos during the last year, very little more than equalled one-half the cost of holding the Philippines during that period. Tn ot1,oy. words if thu sfofoJ<uo1,,a of o,,r