The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-06-24
FRIDAY. JUNE "a, 1898.
DRIFT TOWARD IMPERIALISM

The Kansas City Star recently invited
its patrons to vote upon the question:
"Shall the United States take and hold
the Philippines?" The broader question
of an imperial policy is, of course. compre-
hended in the inquiry. OF 245 replies re-
ceived but two were in the negative.
The incident is almost painfully sug-
gestive of the hold which the idea of
colonial aggrandizement and CONNER
cial expansion has already taken upon the
people of the United States, notwith-
standing it is not yet two months
old, and that sufficient time has hardly
elapsed since the Philippines fell into our
hands to enable the masses to turn the
matter over seriously in their minds.
We hazard little in the opinion that had
the Kansas City Star, just prior to the
receipt Of the news of Dewey's victory,
taken a vote upon the question, based
upon the theory that the Philippines
would ultimately come into our possess
sion, the result would have been almost,
If not quite, exactly reversed.
If the traditional policy Of this country
is to be changed, and we are to launch
out upon the broad and troublesome sea
of imperialism, it were far better that the
departure should be undertaken with the
consent and approval of a decisive ma
jority of our people, providing that con-
sent and approval shall be willingly
yielded, and result from conviction based
upon serious consideration of all the diff
ferent phases Of the proposition, not
losing sight of the dangers inseparable
from it. And this for the reason that the
departure once made, there will be no
opportunity for taking backward steps,
no chance to withdraw from the field, no
alternative but to press forward and
carry the theory out to it's fullest legiti-
mate conclusion.
Our foreign policy will need to be fixed
and stable, and so we'll established and
understood that the rise and fall of politi-
cal parties and ministries will in no fun
damental respect affect it. Upon no other
lines, If upon these, is the success of i'm
perialism possible. colonial policy that
shall be subject to change every four
years will be foreordained to disaster.
Concededly unsuccessful in the case of
Great Britain, with it's stable govern
mental policies surviving every change in
public sentiment, what can be looked fer
from an experiment undertaken by peo-
pie not yet half through experimenting
with the problem of governing them
selves?
"The great questions growing out of
the acquisition of foreign territory" de-
clared General Grosvenor, in the Ohio
Republican convention the other day,
can be better settled by the party that
elected Mckinley than by any party that
can be formed. 1t will settle all questions
periodically, wisely and from the stand
point of American progress God has
marked out for us in the world"
1t is such lingo sentiment as this that
is today swaying the American mind in
favor of the new policy and we risk little
In surmising that few of those who read
1t and were inspired by it's thoughtless
gush stopped to ponder for one moment
on the declaration of an English states
man, printed in parallel column of thu
same issue, and which, although not in
any way associated with the subject
under discussion might easily be con-
strued into warning of most solemn por-
tent. Speaking of the proposed Anglo
American alliance, Lord Landsdowne
said:
we should De wanting in foresight If
we failed to realize that the time might
come when our revenues would no longer
flow SO freely. when the British tax
payer would grow weary of building
more and more battleships, and raising
more and more battalions, and when.
whether we liked it or not, we might
have to consider whether we could af-
ford to stand alone.
II the time is indeed approaching. and
the signs all Indicate it, when the greatest
maritime nation on EARTH upon whose
possessions the sun never sets. cannot
stand alone, how far removed from utter
madness will be our venture into tn. same
limitless field of territorial expansion?
Disraeli spoke of the colonies as "a mill
stone about England's neck"
Only few days ago Lord Salisbury
warned the house of lords that "the
strength of England is already danger
ously taxed by her foreign Dependent
cies.''
The London Times boldly declares that