THE COST OF THE PHILIPPINES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 31, 31 October 1907, Page 8

THE COST OF THE PHILIPPINES.

It has cost , the United States approximately £80,000,000 to acquire aiid hold' tho Philippine' Islands. The- -figures, says a Washington telegram to tlie "Now York Herald".' (Paris edition),' are b.u'ied in a. bulk of War ' Department accounts : extending 'over nine years.' and ' the ■ account , is. 'practically all a military one. If , full charge is made for all operations of, tho arriiy and 1 navy, commencirig with, -the invasion and conquest, running through and quenching tho stubborn' rebellion, and carried 'down into the police work in' peace, tho totar biiris somewhere near . £80,|D00,000, and it grows at the rate' of £6,000,000 : per arinuin.'. ' This. computation'' is attacked' on the ground " that ■it is s improper to make ' a- gross' charge "of the entire cost of the con■quost.arid.'o'ccujiation of tho activities of the navy working with normal ; strength and, personnel. ' ' : ' ' ' v Tho records of the War Department show that' between May,'-1898/• and June/ 1902, tiie expenditures for military 'Operations' in tiio Philippines wore £33,970;70!!. ' To this total should-bo added the cost of the railway carriago within the United States of troops arid supplies'going to and returning from the Philippines. . Computed to April, 19&2, : it carries the grand total to more' than '£35,000,000. In the five years, of the second period of American'military-operation it is estimated that tho outlay has amounted to about £25,000,000. This carries tho total general computation, to -£60,500,000> To. that',it ;is;fair to add £4,000,000, .the sum paid, by, the-American,.Government to Spain. " At preseiit'one-fifth of tlfe United States'-army "is; retained in- the Philippines. It, is estimated that the annual expenditure exceeds £4,000,000. There is probably less reason for cbarghig tho gross: naval expenditure; to the Philippines than: in tho caso of tho.'army,, but thero -is unquestionably a large if undeterminable navjal account against the Philippines. One, estimation has placed the joint cost, of tho, four years, of war and insurrection at £40)000.000.