The Globe-republican., 1898-06-02
FATE HAS DRIVEN AMERICA.

/
| cations to Solve.
| WASHINGTON, May 3l.-Henry Nor
man, editor of the London Daily Chron-
icle, whose letters from this city dur
ing the Venezuelan boundary dispute
attracted such widespread attention, is
in Washington again as war cores
pondent of his paper. Last night he
cabled the following to the Chronicle
and through his courtesy the Associ-
ated press is able to present the mat
ter from this side:
Neither in the White house nor the
state department is there any definite
conviction or determination concern
ing the future direction of the national
policy with regard to the disposal of
those oversee possessions over which
the American flag will be flying when
| the war is over. This may sound like
4 hostile criticism. Nothing is further
from my mind.
The United States has drifted stead
lily toward its new fate. If the Maine
had not been blown up war would not
exist to-day. The neutrality of Eng
land forced Admiral Dewey's squadron
to sea. To smash the Spanish Asiatic
squadron and seize Manila was his only
course. This accomplished. it became
instantly imperative to send Kim rein
fOrcements. and these had to be strong
enough to defeat twenty Spanish reg
iments and occupy the principal
islands.
The same is true of the Atlantic.
When war was declared it was believed
that the insurgents were capable Of
taking the field against the Spanish if
supplied with arms, ammunition and
food. 1t is now known that they are
wholly incapable of this, and the mill
tary authorities have become deeply
averse to any cooperation with the in
surgents, holding the view that the
American army should act with COM
plete independence, so as to be free to
face whatever situation may arise after
the Spanish are expelled.
To President Mckinley alone is due
the escape of this country from the IA
tai blunder of recognizing the insurg-
gents as belligcrents, and for this
every thinking American to-day is pro-
foundly grateful. Again. there was
originally no intention CT bombarding
or selling Porto Rico. Admiral Samp-
sons bOmbardment was a failure; it
should have been sooner and final or
not at ali. That mistake is not to be
repeated and the second Spanish fleet
will not find base there.
Moreover, nobody could have fore
seen the extraordinary change of pub
lie opinion after Admiral Dewey's VIC
tory. Between April 30 and May a
revolution took place. On one day the
idea of keeping the Philippines had
not occurred to anybody: on the next
few people thought of giving them up.
Now also it is appreciated that it is
impossible to dispose of them to any
other power without the gravest COM
plications. while public sentiment is
intollerant of the idea of restoring
them to Spanish misrule.
Thus in every direction events have
moved and the administration has fol-
lowed. In Ambassador Hays words. it
has been case of imposition of in
position of invisible hands. The NOV
ing finger has written and it can not
be lured back to ''cancel half line"
The question is. will the United
States. when peace is signed. withdraw
within its old limits. abide by it's old
traditions and rest the temptation of
empire. or will it accept boldly what
the fortunes of war have brought and
turn its face toward a new destiny7
The struggle will be long and bitter.