The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-07
BOTH SIDES OF THE IMPENDING
ISSUE.

The practical acceptance by the Spanish
Ministry of the terms of peace proposed by
the President hastens the consideration of
questions growing out of those terms. OF
necessity there must be some change in
our traditional policy in regard to larger
participation in the direction of the worlds
affairs. Such change need not however,
commit nation which has devoted itself
with marvellous success TO internal develop
ment to policy of external expansion. Dis
cussion has already begun which involves
the merits and dement's of such a policy.
In the August magazines are two articles
bearing upon that question. One of these
bears the title 1.-THE Spanish War and the
Equilibrium of the World" by Brooks
Adams, grandson of John Quincy Adams,
student and a theorist. Mr.. Adams con-
ceives that there is such a thing as the
equilibrium of the world in industry and
commerce, and that it's change from time
to time marks the decay of one people and
the rise of another. The result of the battle
of Waterloo, in 1915. destroyed the balance
and disintegration set in, sweeping industry
and capital in opposite directions. For
ton has been advancing westward If it
continues to advance it will cross the At
lantic and America; if it recedes America,
Mr.. Adams says, may have reached its
prime. The active and economical organ
isms in all things survive while the slow
and costly perish. 1t is this law which has
made such political aggregations as Ger
many, the British empire and the United
States, and the decaying nations like Spain
Italy and even France. In the future the
most powerful combination will rule the
worlds commerce. while the nations which
refuse coalition must fall into decay Re-
garding the present, Mr.. Adams says:
Already America has been drawn into war
over the Acknowledgement of one dying civili-
zation, and 1t cannot escape the conflict
which must be waged over the carcass of
another; Even now the hostile forces are
converSing on the shores of the Yellow sea-
the English and the Germans to the south,
russia at Port Arthur, covering Peking
while Japan hungers for Corea, the key to
rich, coal-bearing, and with fine harbors
seem a. predestined base for the United
States in a conflict which probably is as in
evitable as that with Spain. 1t is in vain
that men talk of keeping free from entan-
clements. Nature is omnipotent, and ma
tons must float with the tide. Whittier the
exchanges flow they must follow, and they
will follow as long as their vitality endures
How and when the decisive moment may
come is beyond conjecture. 1t may be to-
morrow, or 1t may not be for years. If Rus
sla and Germany can shape events, it will
not be until their navies and railroads are
complete. But these great catastrophes es-
cape human control. The collapse of
France might convuse society in an instant
Whether agreeable to them or not economic
exigencies seem likely to constrain English
men and Americans to combine for their
own safety, and possibly hesitation as to
hnf hn doya~
cision in war;
Mr.. Adams is a conservative mana mug
wump. in fact, but he has stated with
greater force the reasons why the United
States must enter into worldwide expan-
sion than has any other writer thus far.
There is no sanctimonious talk about be-
ing the agent of Providence to elevate and
christianize defective races like those &C.
cupying the Philippines. but he would use
them for our own ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Mr.
Adamss argument is vulnerable, as those
who consider it must discover
The other article to which allusion has
it is written by Andrew Carnegie one of
the great captains of industry often called
monopolists. He is opposed to that policy
which looks to the annexing of distant
islands. He would have the United States
hold Cuba and obtain the West Indies,
which are the outposts of the continent; he
would not have the Philippines; he would
not have the Nation drawn into the main
tenance of costly armies and navies in order
to hold commercial supremacy in China.
He holds that the United States can insure
a greater prosperity and a wider influence
by developing the territory it now possesses
has the kinds of national possessions, colo
MES and dependencies. Canada and Aus
tralia, with English-speaking people and
self-government, are colonies, while
India is a dependency which has al
ways been burden. 1t will al
ways he alien in spirit. and the
time is not far distant, Mr.. Carnegie. who
has been in India, predicts when that So
called gem of the British crown will glitter
red again. TIE Triumphant Democracy
which this government has been can help
Cuba and the West Indies, but when it seeks
to rule the distant and alien Philippines it
assumes the role Of triumphant despot-
ISM These islands will be a part of our
India.
Trade does not follow the flag, declares
this captain of industry, but goes to the ma
tions which sell on the best terms; be-
sides, we have a continent to develop and
it has only twenty-three people to the
square mile against $40 in England and go
in Germany. With 1.-THE of the cost of
maintaining our sway over the Philip
pines. says Mr. Carnegie, we can construct
waterways from the ocean to the great
lakes and build the Nicaragua canal To-
day we are the friend of all nations. and
mere and more we shall be their friend
and mind our own affairs.
Mr.. Carnegie is British born so much Of
his time does he spend in Great Britain
that he Is often referred to as a citizen Of