The age-herald., 1898-05-12
TECHNICS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

A war begun upon humanitarian grounds l bids fair to result in the acquisition by the
 republic of a huge area of foreign territory. l War has the unfailing habit of altering
 the physical and political map of a country,
 and this present alteration with Spain will
 not prove an exception to the accepted
 rule.
 The past policy of the United States re- | garding outside territory will be, in all pro- 1 bability, nulifed and when peace is de- clared it will find this government in charge of Cuba, the Philippines, and per- haps other islands whose possession hith-
 erto has not been deemed essential or de-
 sirable by a large body of Americans. The victory of Admir- Dewey at Manila
 has brought the people of this country face to face with this question of the acquisl-
 tion of foreign territory.
 Situated as the Philippine Islands are in l the Pacific ocean, not far from the Asiatic coast. it is imperative that they shall re- main as a friendly coaling station for Amer ican ships. This is demanded by the com
 merce of the country, and the necessities of | the navy of the United States. Not to fol- POSoCooAOA
 nifty that victory meant only passing l glory, barren of good results.
 Having conquered the Spanish fleet at I Manila, the obligation of providing some form of government for the Philippines has become immediate and imperative. To shirk this responsibility would be a species of cowardice on the part of the nation.
 
 The leading statesmen of the country are studying this issue with a seriousness and conservatism that argue well for the final l outcome
 The minds of the great masses of the I people are beginning to consider this phase of the war question, and many of the lead- | ing dalies are dealing with this probable l change in the foreign policy of the United | States, with a thorough discussion of the | merits of the matter. A nation, whether | republic or monarchy, rarely if ever 1 emerges from war with a foreign foe just | in the same position as that occupied at the beginning of of the embroglio. There nec- | essarily arise unexpected questions, which | are contingent upon changed conditions and relations; the minds of the people become | affected by the excitement of thrilling 1 events and from one cause or another the l policy of nearly every government is all | tered in particulars more or less important by the arbitrament of the sword, even when l that sword has brought victory and na- tional glory.
 | This war, begun for the sake of the re- | concentrates of Cuba. will in all probability
 result in bringing under the control of the
 Irnited States foreign territory that had no part in participating in the hostilities now
 existinr between this country and Spain. ,rbese outside possessions will force upon the government an issue that must pe souarely and fearlessy met, and which VIII forever change the nations policy m regard I to territorial acquisition
 l Tn discussing this question the New l York Times says in a very long anu GA
 haustive editorial: Ut is becoming palmer l every day that paramount necessary VIII oo,,na, ,,s to assume, for a time of which l we cannot now see the end, the ou'y oi
 erovarninp and controlling the Philippine
 islands. In supplanting the governneh. l of Spain we become subjugated 10 all i's | duties and obligations. towards the ci'izehs l of those islands, and towards the Ioreieh | nations having relations with them. AS an l honorable nation we cannot shlrk any ol l these obligations. We must face then the
 nroblem of establishing at Manila tempor- | ar,,v at least a form of civil government I for which the constitution of thls home-
 keeping nation makes no direct provlsion'
 That is one of the responsibilities or war;
 not a responsibility to be shirked or to De
 looked at from afar with foreboding and | irresolution. It must be assumed with the
 courage of nation capable Of bearing US l part in the forward movement or tne
 world. That we have not ready to our | hand the machinery for governing a ois- l tant possession need give us no uneasiness.
 We have the genius to devise and the | ability to operate it. It will be a broaden | ine, experience for us of which this snort | war has already given us abundant evi-
 dence that we stand in serious need.
 These grave responsibilities were not | counted by the masses when the Spanish
 question semed limited by the suffering
 island of Cuba But in the wake of Deweys | splendid squadron comes this issue whch | tbe renublic must meet without fear or
 t,.aeio,, sne ..>ss3EH l American statesmanship will grappie l with it and there is every reason to pe- | lieve that American statesmanshp VIII | win.
 Dewey's guns not only destroyed DOT | ton of the Spanish fleet. but they nave | forced upon the United States a change in
 its foreign policy. p-ALh'
 BYRON ON SPAIN.
 l In "ChiIde Harold"
 l