TlIK PIIIIJITIXE ISLANDS A.XP THEIR EXVJROX^fE^'T 3 



lion dollars, of which America should eventually have the controlling 

 share if she will hold the great advantage which slie now possesses 

 by tlie occupation of the Philii)innes, where she can have a distribut- 

 ing and receiving point to come in close contact witli these millions 

 of iieoi>le and of commerce. 



I contend that Manila occupies a position of immeasurable o})por- 

 tunity in comparison with the other great ports or cities of the Asian 

 and Australian coast line. That you may obtain a concrete idea of 

 what I mean, let me picture how Manila stands with reference to 

 neighboring points. Let us draw a circle on a radius of two tliousand 

 miles, with Manila as the center. As we swing it around we find 

 that this charmed circle takes in such distantly separated points as 

 Yokohama, Vladivostok, and Tientsin on the north and Port Dar- 

 win, in Australia, and l^atavia. in .Tava, on the south. It reaches 

 east to include Guam and the Carolines and west to include Bangkok, 

 in Siam. and Rangoon, in Burma. A similar circle drawn around 

 any other i)()rt does not include so many important points. I would 

 notimply that Manila will ever take the placeof Hongkong, Shanghai, 

 or Singai)ore, or even equal them in the race for commercial and 

 political supremacy, because they already have a wonderful start; 

 but there is alnindant reason why iManila should become a great 

 trade center to <livide their l)usiness, and at least be the chief })oint 

 through which America shall carry on her growing transactions with 

 Asia's millions. It must be remembered that we have only recently 

 entered this vast arena with any prosi)ects of being the chief factor 

 in trade. When we fully realize and improve our ojiportunities, then 

 we should build ui) a great American city at Manila as tlie English 

 have i»ros|)erous i)orts at Hongkong and Singai)ore, the Dutch at 

 Batavia, and the French at Saigon. 



Manila liay opens on the South China Sea, which is teeming with 

 the c(Mnmerce of tlie Orient as the Great Lakes of America are busy 

 with the trade of our interior. But more than that, there pass uji and 

 down through thissea,within hail as it wereof Manila, the mighty Meet 

 of ocean craft that crowd through the Suez Canal and pass Singapore 

 to and from Kurope and the far East. Formerly these vessels never 

 tliought of stopping at Manila or havii^g regular connections. It was 

 always Spain's |)olicy to keep the Philippines in tlu- background. 

 They were enshrouded in mystery; and even at Hongkong, oidy 

 630 miles away, with lur great trade of S2r)(),(X)(),000 per annum, there 

 was no just appreciation of the opportunities in the Philippines. 



