Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-19

concentrate upon industry The ratings
come in this order.
Alaska Observation-Disclosures. 59nss4 50 nj,
Philippines -...-........ Ilh4eo
Fo ,To1 Rico ............. 5,4ss
Samoa ara Guam ,.......... 9SS
Inasn,uch as large part Of Alaska
Is too trigld for agricultural develop
r1ent and has limited resources IN other
ways. its area loses significance. In the
Philippines. on the other hand, enough
unused AGRICULTURAL land remains TO
lift its trade far above the present total
for all the territories cited.
Possibilities Are Cited.
The late Gov. Gen. Leonard Wood in
his last annual report expressed the
opinion. for example. that the Philip
mines might produce most, II not all, OF
Inc rubber needed by the United States
It's sugar. coffee and other resources
similarly might ne expanded 10 supply
e major part Of the American demand
and PROBABLY enough 70 exercise 6 re-
straint upon those foreign countries
which now have monopollstlc controi
O. some raw products
Secretary Of Commerce Hoover, IN
1925, when rubber had reached the peak
price of Slcl poGnd, surveyed foreign
controls Of raw materials and FOUND
several under full or partial monopoly
and so subject to price nlanlpulaIlons
IN which the United States mao no
voice. There were from 90 to 80 other
commodities capable of such foreign
control. he declared.
The Philippines have the soil and the
climate to invade the markets for these
products. nearly all Of which are
tropical. in a large and decisive way.
While present Philippine land laws
handicap investment Of outside capital
In a large way Gov. Gen. Stinson urges
changes that would enable the islands
to enrich themselves far beyond the
Total Of trade reported today.
East Indies Forge Ahead.
Just south of the Philippines are the
Dutch East Indies. which, in comparison
with the size of the Philippines, have
forged ahead OF them economically. The
islands Of Java and Nadura IN 1927
did S75.i77.6l5 business with the United
States ard ti1ev have only 5057T square
miles. They have done better in recent
years zrcn the price Of rubber was
higher
The three Items Of rubber. coffee and
sugar cost the United States last year
ara s2580o0 0Ga These figures show
wnzt the Philippines could do II the
resources are more largely developed
The United States now buys rubber
coffee ana sugar pre6ominsntly from
British Malaga, Dutch East Indies.
Brazil and Cuba
Cuba is still another object lesson To
the Philippines. Its area of III 634
square miles Is not much more than
one-ta,rd o. the area of the Philippines
but Cuba in 1927 did SAIL 934 783 busi-
ness with the United States, against
sls6. 504,554 for the Philippines.
For Hawaii with only SAC square
miles and Porto Rico with only 3435
TO surpass IN the one case and virtually
equal in the other the trade of the
when the Philippines have lI44oo
square miles speaks more impressiveig
Of economic development than any
other comparison could.
What L. S. Is Spending.
The United States now is spending
more than 81 500 00o. 900 annually in
the tropical and ser1i-tropicai countries
Of the world for their products-the
items Of coffee, sugar and rubber as
shown totaling $4,000 .000--and it is
evident that the Philippines have a
vital bearing. potentially upon world
competition in tropical commodities.
Considering population the Philip
pines are in a superior position. the
figures being:
peilipplnes -.-..-..-............. u coo ore
EsvsE .................... 550000
Alaska ..,.--................. so-0o0
girxln Isla1as ..-.-............ 27,ooo