The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-09

Fnlhppane independence. There are
several bills dealing with the Amer
lean occupation of the Philippine Is
lands before the senate and house.
Were it not for the practically
undivided attention the Teapot
Dome affair is now receiving the
Philippine crisis would TODAY have
been in the forefront of our national
political arena. Just now the Tea
pot politics eclipse everything else.
But the Philippine question has its
own little scandal, and its mighty
big one at that. And there is oil
IN it, too. 1t is very likely that the
next scandal congress will tackle
will be the General Wood family oil
splash. No less noted an investi.
gator than Samuel Untermeyer win
probably step in to this exposure.
which will be of first rate import
ance. Besides, startling evidence is
promised by an investigation of the
peculiar way in which General Wood
has permitted concessions to be
handed out to some of his political
friends in the Archipelago.
To the American workers and
farmers the Filipino problem is a
matter of serious and far-readhing
dimensions. Today the Philippines
are the key to American in1perialis&
supremacy in the Pacifc-the thea
tire of the next great capitalist world
confagration. The very pith of the
increasingly serious problem of mil
itarism is today bound up with the
acute crisis in the Philippines. No
one can deny that militarism and
imperialism in all their numerous
dangerous ramihcations are taking,
on ever-more threatening proper
tons. involving the life and security
OF the exploited workers and dispos-
sesSed farmers. To the extent that
our working masses have a vital in
terest in this growing menace to
their very existence, to that very
extent are they drawn into the Phil
ippine maelstrom.
Strategic Importance of Philippines
The Philippine Islands are the
economic and military gateway to
the Far East. From the naval and
commercial point of view, the harbor
of Manila and the Islands are the
key to economic and naval su-
premacy in the entire Pacific. Kobe,
Osaka, and Yokohama, the flourish
ing business cities Of japan; the
Chinest coast from Shanghai to
Hongkong, and the ports Of North
China Dairen and Tientsin; Singa-
pore, the British Gibraltar of the
Far East guarding the treasures OF
India; the Dutch East Indies. and
the route southwark to Australia
al lie within a steaming radins OF
$500 miles from Manila as q center
In this sphere of influence eucircIing
Vladivostok, the Pacific gateway tc
Siberia, India to the Arabian Sea
and Oceanica to Perth and Brisbane
in Australia" there live and work
close to eight million people-the
prize labor market of the world.
The overshadowing Importance OF
this strategic location Of the Phil
ippine Islands has won for the Ar.
chipelago the eovetous role of be-
ing at "the crossroads of the great
est trade routes Of the future" Ma
Mia can well serve as a convenient
distributing center for merchandise
IA taAAH iHOSS OciiocV ROPdAaecu ocSr
ton Of the world.
Tremendous Natural Wealth
The Philippines are still a virgin
field for economic development. Oh
the total area of $4,000 square
miles, equivalent to the combined
areas of the States of New York
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Della
ware, only about 1900 square miles
are under cultivation today. This
10 per cent of the total area il
worth close to q quarter Of a BIZ
lion dollars.
This American dependency ha!
close to $4,000 square miles of com
mercial forest land. The islands car
support a population at least three
times their present number. Ths
Philippines afford unbounded com
mercial opportunities. The field il
sugar refining is practically un
touched. The same holds true fol
fishing, canning and fruit and vege
table raising. Wide areas of grassy
lands and hilisides are available fol
MT .