Evening star., 1925-01-17
ARTICLE Nv.

7 now come to a consideration of
what the United States has done In a
material and economic way Tor the
Filipnos. 1t is assumed that all IN
telligent Americans are aware OF wha'
the United States has done in the way
of education and spiritual enlighten-
ment for the Filipino people.
In the matter of foreign trade, the
Philippine Islands have gained 1Ou
per cent in the last 20 years; the
major portion OF this business has
been with the United States.
The trade of the Philippines
for 1928 totaled 2oS,552,737, Of which
65 per cent was with the United
States. In that year the islands pur-
chased s50,654,710 worth of American
goods, or So per cent of all goods
imported into the islands. Philippine
exports in 1928 amounted to s12O,-
752,99O, of which SS5,543,b75, or ~
per cent worth, went to the United
States. In 1904 Philippine foreign
trade was only s29,500,0o0, with i'm
ports and exports evenly divided.
Future Trade Possibilities.
Yet our trade with the islands is
considered to be far short of ulti-
mate possibilities. Were the Philip
pines purchases from the United
States on an equal basis with Ha-
wall, OF about 5000 per capita year
they would be more than $4,000
O0O, 900. AS for exports, the value is
only limited by the development oi
the insular resources.
To put the present purchasing
power of the Philippines more con-
cretely, the islands now use every
year the output of 100000 acres OF
American wheat, $4,000 acres OF
American cotton and $3.50 acres oi
five hundred American cows furnish
part of the annual dairy products OF
the archipelago.
Manila is admirably situated geo.
graphically for becoming the big
trading center of the Far East. With
in a radius OF LOO miles is a popu-
lation of 126, 100000. Gradually the
port Is assuming such a position.
Can supply Tropical Needs.
The Philippines are an archipelago
approximately 5000 miles west Of the
United States. They lie wholly with.
in the tropics and are capable Of pro
ducing practically all the tropica
products needed by the United States
for generations to come. There are
115,O26 square miles of land includ e6
in the 1888 islands that constitute
the archipelago. The United King.
dom comprises 121,43S square miles
Japan, 1883, and Germany, 182,264
North and south the archipelago
measures 1,152 miles; east and west
682 miles between the extremes, will
a coast line of 11,444 miles, longer
than that of the United States. TIL.
population Is about 100000, al
Filipinos or so-called non-Christiar
tribes, with the exception of 45,00t
Chinese, 5000 Japanese, 5000 Ameri
of other nationalities. The popuia
| tion per square mile is "a: in tn,
United States, 80. English is spok er
| or understood by about 100000 Fill
pinos.
1t Is generally admitted that tn,
| biggest hindrance to capital invest
| ment in the Philippine territory 4
the state OF political unrest which ha
| prevailed there for many years, du
| to the independence agitation, KEEP
| alive by a number of leading F1lipin,
| politicians. The people, as whole
| are happy, prosperous, and contente,
| with American rule.
| In conclusion, I call attention T.
another fundamental fact, namely
| that there is no such thing, properl
speaking, as a Filipino nation or people
| There is collection of semi-civilize'
and savage tribes, some so in mum
ber, speaking more than SO differen
dialects, some of which are not un
kdsIstandabla by msmbsrs 81 an;