The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-31
A OTHERS SET US.

HannN are We II We ~
others see us. Mr.. Henry Norman eoi-
for of the London Daily Chronicle mas
rocen,lv come over 10 this country 10
study the war situation from the for
o,on mint of view. Naturally nc is In
terested 70 know. as his readers arc IN
tercsted TO know, just what policy the
United states will pursue after the war
shall have ended.
lie saws that HI has conversed with
almost every man, beginning with the
highest. whose authority will mold inc
,sspo and with many old friends ana
new acduaintances, representative OF all
shades Of opinion. But his inquiry ne
adds has been like the search Tor g
needle in a hay stack. and he has reach-
ed the conclusion that in this particular
stack there IS no needle at all. BY which
be means 10 say that neither in the
White House nor in the state Depart
ment is there any definite conviction or
determination concerning the future ol-
rection of the national policy with regard
TO the disposal Of those oversee possess
s,ons over which the American flag VIII
he flying when the war is over.
Mr.. Norman then goes on TO say that
the United states has drifted steadily
towards its new fate. That the neu-
tralitv Of England forced Admiral DeT-
ey's squadron to sea, and that it then
became n necessity for him TO smash
the Spanish sqadron and seize Manila.
That done II was necessary for the Unit
ed states to send him reinforcements,
and so we are occupying the Philippine
Islands in spite Of ourselves.
Again. lie says that the same is
true of the Atlantic. That when the war
was declared II was believed that the In
surgents were capable of taking the field
against the Spanish. II only they were
supplied with arms, ammunition ana
food. But that it is now known that
they are wholly incapable Of this, and
that the military authorities have be-
come deeply averse to any cooperation
with the insurgents, holding the view
that the American army should act with
complete independence so as TO be free
TO face whatever situation may arise az
ter the Spanish are expelled.
Perhaps the American people at large
have not recognized the truths which
this foreigner tells us, but they are none
the less truths and we cannot get away
from them. The fact IS that we rushed
into this wal without being prepared Tor
It and without realizing any Of the com
pllcations in which we were necessarily
involving ourselves.
Mr.. Norman states another forceful
truth when he says that but Tor Presi-
dent Mckinley. Congress would have
committed the fatal blunder Of recogniz-
ing these same insurgents as belllgerents
and we believe that he states the truth
when he says that every thinking Amer
lean to-day is profoundly grateful that
the President saved US from that blum
der. %. b .sis. igR
But It is not our purpose TO hold a
post mortem. We simply point out the
mistakes Of the past by way OF warning
the nation against mistakes OF the fu-
ture. The question is, concludes the
London editor, will the United States.
when peace is concluded. Withdraw with
I'm its ows limits. abide by its old ira
dltious ard resist the temptations Of en-
pire; or will It accept bodily what the
fortunes Of war have brought and turn
its face towards q new destiny?
Aye. that is the question, and the most
serious question, as we have frequently
Observed. in connection with this war
with Spain. The war can ead only in
one way, whether the contest be long
or short. and It is not so much as to
now and when That victory will be
achieved. as TO what we shall do with
&c.. J. the nation 20 learn nothing by its
recent experiences? The very minute
that We captured those Philippine Islands.
that minute they began 10 be a source
OF trouble to us. and II we had entered
into any sort OF alliance with the Cuban
Insurgents. our position with reference
to them would be most awkward and
embarrassing. Let us take warning, let
Ms see how dangerous are these foreign
entansicments Of whatever kind and let
Us beware OF them.