Page:David Atkins - The Economics of Freedom (1924).pdf/316

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The Economics of Freedom

The further areas and populations to be dealt with by the Conversion Committee are as follows:

Country Square Miles Population
Alaska 590,884 55,036
Hawaii 6,449 255,912
Philippine Islands 115,026 10,350,640
Porto Rico 3,435 1,299,809
Guam 210 13,275
Panama Canal Zone 527 22,858
Virgin Islands 132 26,051
716,663 12,023,581 [1]

This complication arises from our bewildered, and very reluctant, political imperialism in combination with an instinctive tendency toward economic imperialism on the part of a few, who think in more concrete terms than most of us, and carry the day both at home and in the outlying possessions. They know what they want, and with proper economic safeguards what they want is quite reasonable, namely, order, and freedom to conduct extended operations. What they get, under our present conflict of motives, is seldom advantageous to them or any one else. However, as long as these outlying possessions are within our economic borders, we must consider them.

  1. In addition to the population shown we must include 117,238 persons engaged abroad in military and naval duty, etc., making a total of 12,140,819, which must be added to the figures shown above.