Elihu Root Collection of United States Documents Relating to the Philippine Islands Volume 135 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 Excerpt: ... coloring to the dictum that trade follows the flag it is to be generally noted that trade has already to some measure preceded the flag and indicated a marked tendency--if not actually inducing the presence of the flag; and further, that special privileges are usually enjoyed by the ruling country in the markets of its colonial possession's. American trade has enjoyed neither of these advantages in the Philippines. Immediate commercial considerations played but a slight part in the fortnitous circumstances leading to the advent of the flag, and the fact that by treaty the United States renounced any special trade privileges in the islands for a period of ten years gives emphasis to commercial conquest not being the leading motive of American occupation, and therefore not the fair measure of American success in the islands. Then, too, in the Spanish era the demand for American goods in the Philippines was of insignificant proportions and without any definite tendency to increase, while with the change of regime the American exporter has found no special trade privileges to induce him to follow the national flag; and under such conditions it should be no matter for surprise that he has not after seven years appropriated entirely to himself the island markets and radically diverted trade from its long established channels. In fact, apart from the stimulus of patriotism--which is not to be accounted a very active force in things coimmercial--and the demand created in the isIands for American goods by the presence of army and civil employes of the government, the presence of the flag has thus far brought no special advantage to the American exporter, and such development of trade as he has effected in the islands is more justly to be measured by the termfe of t...