CHAPTER V THE BLOW FROM BEHIND STRIKES THE BLOW FROM BEHIND FALLS ON OUR SOLDIERS Just as we were in the hottest of our campaign against Aguinaldo which we were waging to protect the great mass of the Filipinos and to meet our obligations which we had assumed toward other nations, there struck our army over there, what the Hon. John Barrett, late our Minister to Siam, called 66 The blow from behind." As if out of the ground, there arose in this country a set of people calling themselves anti-imperialists. They were first seen in Boston. These people said that if it were not for them, this republic would become an empire; and they had come to prevent that. They said that if we kept on trying to save the Filipinos from Aguinaldo and anarchy, this republic would pass from the earth and an empire would rise in its stead. They took to print, and they flooded the mails with pamphlets called "The Anti-Imperialist." The cover states that these pamphlets are published at intervals." I fail to recognize the place, but, after studying what lies between the covers, I am glad that I am unable to find the place on the map; if I could, I should be forever avoiding it. These publications attracted great attention. They were quoted by all the papers and people who are usually "anti" everything that the most of the world believes in, as if the statistics and statements in them were the law and the prophets. These pamphlets present a truly terrific array of figures that would sicken the stoutest heart of our work in the Philippines. The high priest of this "Anti-Imperialist" is Edward Atkinson of Boston, a gentleman, who, I believe, has secured the printing of more statistics with respect to matters that had nothing to do with his own vocation, which is, I am informed, that of fire insurance, than probably anybody else in the universe. These figures presented by Mr. Atkinson in these books have, I believe, not heretofore been examined with a microscope, but it is purposed to turn one right on to them here, for it is desired to place the anti-imperialists, so far as I may be able to do it, in their proper and exact place before the country. I cannot hope to do much; but I believe I can do something. Let us see what sort of statements were the backbone and foundation of this anti-imperialist movement. Let us see what they were worth. What was its real, actual basis? Was it a solid one? I undertake to say that it was a foundation of sand, that there was not a single sound timber in its supports and that the whole case was founded upon misrepresentation, libel, deceit and falsehood. These are strong accusations; but the facts are here. In the first place, let us consider Mr. Atkinson's statements of the cost of this war in the Philippines. His pamphlets were devoted almost exclusively to proving two things; first, that the money cost of the war would lead to an enormous deficit in our treasury, and second, that the loss in lives and the suffering of our soldiers would be awful. What I propose to do is to parallel column his prophecies with the facts. CHAPTER VI ATKINSON'S RIDICULOUS FINANCE EDWARD ATKINSON'S FINANCIAL PROPHECIES PROVEN RIDICULOUS AND FULL OF MISSTATEMENTS HERE is Mr. Atkinson's record in his own books, and he and we must stand by the results here shown. Here is Vol. 1 of the "Anti-Imperialist." On p. 8 is this heading in large type. PROSPECTIVE DEFICIT IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1900, $150,000,000, probably more. BY EDWARD ATKINSON. Now what is the fact? What was the deficit 'IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1900?" "A DEFICIT OF $150,000,000, probably more" he puts it, in italics. Now let us go to the fountain head on this matter. Here is the annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Lyman J. Gage, on the state of the finances for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1900. On page vii we find this: "Treasury Department, "Sir: (To the Speaker of the House of Representatives) I have the honor to submit the following report. 66 "Receipts and Expenditures. The revenues of the government from all sources for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1900, were: Total receipts, $567,000,000, total expenditures $488,000,000, showing a surplus of $79,000,000." 66 (Postal service items are left out of Mr. Atkinson's calculations and, therefore out of all calculations herein, as well. Also all amounts, as a rule, are made into even millions by dropping all except the millions of the exact figures.) Mr. Atkinson says in large type and italics, PROSPECTIVE DEFICIT IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1900: -$150,000,000,-probably more." That is, Mr. Atkinson was $229,000,000 out of the way! He said a deficit of $150,000,000; we had a surplus of $79,000,000 and he was the sum of those two from the correct figures,-$229,000,000,-nearly half of all our expenditures for the whole year, which were |