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It was in this latter argument that Mr. Millard struck a note which politicians believing in the sentimentality of the U. S. public have generally regarded as too dangerous to sound. And he carried it into the future, visualizing the end of this century, when the U. S., with a population of nearly 200,000,000, must import food and raw material. In those days, civilization must look to the tropics to feed it. It is then the Philippines will pay dividends.
"Great uncultivated and unused regions in the Philippines which are ideal for the production of rubber, hemp, jute, coffee, vegetable oils and fats, camphor and quinine, now are a part of the public domain of the United States and are owned by the American people."
His mention of rubber affects all who ride on tires, for today Great Britain controls an enormous percentage—perhaps 95%—of the raw rubber used in the U.S.
Besides all this, water power equal to the Muscle Shoals possibilities could be developed. And the iron ore deposits are among the largest in Asia.
Capital, concluded Mr. Millard, is shy of the Philippines because of the uncertainty of its political future. Pending certainty, a certainty which must come, he pleads that this treasure be safely guarded.
To illustrate the "futility of trying to solve aggravating issues between the U. S. and Asia by equivocation and evasion," Mr. Millard wrote:
"To the mass of Asiatics, it was inconceivable that the American Government, which obviously wished to exclude Asiatic immigration and which did exclude most of them by law, granted exclusive treatment to Japanese for any reason except a fear of Japan's military power. The mass of Asiatics firmly believed that, if it came to a showdown, Japan would fight America on that issue. Therefore, when Japan accepted exclusion, her prestige dropped in Asia and the prestige of America went up."
The living example of firm colonial administration is the present Governor General, Leonard Wood. U. S. prestige has risen with him.
Last week, he proceeded to Lanao to settle an internecine dispute. He bade one Sultan Saraya to surrender. Peace followed.
He returned to Manila, issued a humanitarian appeal for $1,000,000:
"England already has organized the British Empire Anti-Leprosy Society and is arranging for a widespread and effective campaign against the dread disease in India and elsewhere. The Philippines have about 12,000 lepers, of which more than 5,000 are segregated and under treatment on Vulion Island. We need your help."
He has won supporters to his side. The old rebel Aguinaldo has come out for him. Even the professional politicians such as Quezon, Osmena, Roxas have virtually abandoned their attempts to force General Wood's recall and have accepted most of his legislative program.
Development of the islands waits only for the U. S. to determine a lasting policy.
*The natives have no more title to the unoccupied lands than the native Alaskans have to the public domain of Alaska. The Philippines were ruled from A.D. 200 to 1325 by various Hindu-Malayan empires whose seats were in Indo-China, Sumatra, Borneo; 1325-1405 by Java; 1405-1440 by China; 1440-1565 partly ruled by Japan; 1565-1898 by Spain. The public domain naturally belonged to the ruler in each case.
t These terms were not used by Mr. Millard, but fairly represent his point.