The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15
OUR TITLE TO THE PHILIPPINES.
A Question of international Law In.
vOlved-The Islands Resources.

Question of international Law In
vOIved-The Islands Resources.
New York Letter in Philadelphia Press.
Mr.. Frederick r. Coudert who, notwith-
standing the fact that he has been for
many years retained by Spain as counsel in
matters of Importance, as he has also by
France and other European countries, is
feryently patriotic. and goes as far as any
uIo II, snas eae Snaea states mas
the Philippine islands. He, of course,
bases that assertion uron the general con-
viction that Commodore Dewey has cap
tured the capital of the Philippines and
has hoisted the flag of the United States
over the custom house and is administering
the government there. That is title, Mr..
Coudert says, which cannot be disputed,
and which no nation of Europe will attempt
out rendering that empire liable to the
charge of serious Inconsistency when her
own course after the Franco-Prusian war
is recalled.
But, Mr.. Coudert adds, that while cur
sovereignty so far as Spain is concerned
cannot be disputed, yet It must be borne in
mind that II cannot be transferred to any
other nation than Spain, because we cannot
give perfect title. We may hold it against
republic there If we desire. We may say
to Spain that we shall hold it until she has
pad us bod az indemnity for the COS cost OF the
of that indemnity, but we cannot transfer 1t
to Japan or Great Britain until we have
acknowledgements of that that title tit as Spain Jain may
make In the treaty of peace.
Mr. Coudert's opinion as well as other
comments which have been made by those
familiar with international law and espe-
cially by merchants, indicate that with an
developed resources which is in these ISL
ands and with the possibility that under
enlightened and progressive methods of de-
velopment a trade with them equal in value
to any trade which any country of the
world may offer may be created the COM
mercial sense of the American people may
n q eTl
of retaining these colonies Everyone
knows in vague way that this archipelago
is rich even in its limited development, but
those who are OF expert authority, some or
whom have been to the Philippine islands,
fnag the ta as by the
which are in these islands for development,
before which even the widest Ore inns OF
wealth in the Klondike regions or the we'll
authenticated reports of the possibilities
which Cuba offers pale.
To say nothing of the agricultural re-
eral which will especially appeal to Ameri-
cans at this time as one which they need
for the full development Of an INDUSTRY
which was unknown here until the McKin-
ley bill passed We have become q tim
plate manufacturing nation, practically
taken away the lent entire trade with wales,
which, prior to the passage of the McKin-
ley BILL was very large. Wales, in order to
sought the markets of Europe and of tho
Orient for its tin plate. 1t had one advan-
tage over us; the almost inexhaustible tin
mines of Cornwall are close by. America
has no tin to speak Of and we are COM
PEELED to import all the metal that we need
for the manufacture of tin plate. 1t Is re-
ported that in the Philippine islands there
are the greatest tin mines in the world ex-
cepting those of Cornwall. Spain has never
developed them. They are awaiting Anglo
Saxon enterprise and energy for their full
development, and If the United States
should retain sovereignty in those islands
then we should have the one thing that we
need to make it possible for us to COM
pete with Wales for the tin-plate trade of
the world.
That however. is only an item. Under
colonial management or policy sucn as Is
Engand knows 50 Wei boy to nstit sd Il
would become the richest in developed re-
sources of all the tropical islands OF the
the surface; she is said never to have ex-
plored the interior; she has shown the same
lack of administrative capacity there that
has characterized her rule in Cuba and
Porto Rico, and. as we now have good rea-
son for suspecting, lack which character
ICES her domestic government.
1t was said this morning by one of the
greater merchants of New York that the
imagination could scarcely conceive the
by good administration of the government
In those islands, not only a wealth In agri-
N and
fields there are believed TO be as vast as
those. which an English company has re-
ceived concessions from China for working
for a long term of years In China.
When it is said that these rich islands
exported year before last 900 worth
of products and imported $4,000, 600 some
idea be obtained of the miserably in
effective way in which Spain has cultivated
these colonies. It was said here that those
islands ought to import in month as much
as they imported in the entire year of 1896,
and the exports from them under good
management and modern commercial meth
DDS ought 70 be- nearer 10000 a year
than $20,OOO,000.
When these facts are known 1t is very
HkelX that American ENTERPRISE and Arnpri-
can commercial spirit may be so strongly
stimulated that no administration would
and would. therefore. notwithstanding the
dangers which would follow the entering
into a colonial policy feel that the best
disposition of the islands would be to keep
them as a payment for thea war expenses
entailed by the acceptance by Spain of the
a Ea1ae Of war; captain, Benjamin
Mia well, says that tbey- are a people who,
under such colonial government as Great
aged, docile and could BE made as indus
trious as any human being IAN be who lives
under the vertical rays of The sun the year
around.
SPANS policy. however, has been cruel
and corrupt, and what passes for religion
In the Philippines has been merely NOM
1nal use OF the sacred office for the sake o.
enriching the priests and the others who
exercise religious authority.
1t Is certain that the futur6 of these ISL
ands and the decision Of the government OF
the United States upon the wisest. the most
statesmanlike course to take with respect
to them are occasioning almost as much
comment here as Is the progress of the war
itself The acquisition of the islands has
had stimulating effect In the exchanges.
That is not due entirely to the demon
stration of American superiority In naval
conflict. but also TO the possibility. IL not
probability, that this enormously wealthy
archipelago, whose resources have been de-
veloped not any more than those of Central
Africa, may become the permanent pos
session of the United States.