The evening times., 1898-06-22
WATTERs0ul ON THE WAR
Reasons WhyaWe Should Hold
All the,I shnds Taken.
AMERICA AS Al WORLD POWER
To Give Up Cuba, Porto Rico and
the Philippines After Acquiring
Them by an Outlay of Blood and
Treasure Would He CONvardly
Abandon ment of Obliga cations.

Louisville, KY, June PIN a long in
terview with Henry Watterson, relative
to some of the problems growing out Of
the present var, the noted editor. gave
his views fully and frankly.
In the event that the Philippine ISL
ands, Cuba and Porto Rico are occupied
by the American troops at the conclusion
of the present war;, what disposition do
you think should be made of them?" was
asked.
Il think we should retain possession Of
them," Mr.. Watterson replied.
Would you regard the possession of
those islands necessary to indemnify us
for the cost and sacrifice of the war, or
essential to the protection of our COM
merce, or our citizens having interests in
them?"
Direct indemnfication for the losses Of
a war such as this Is not of the first
consequence. No money indemnity could
satisfy us. or be collected Of Spain. A
nation of shopkeepers they call us, and a
nation of shopkeepers We may be, but in
this business We are not after money. II
Spain were less barbarous and corrupt,
| we could afford to be more generous.
We set out to free Cuba of Spanish
misrule, and, incidentally, to redress a
| long series of Spanish outrages, culminat-
| ing in the destruction of the Maine But
war rarely ends where it began. The war
for the Union began with the declaration
that 1t was not waged TO free the slaves.
and ended with the abolition of slavery
The conquest of arms raises up unexpect-
ed conditions and responsibilities. The
truth is that Spain is reaping the evil
fruit of three centuries of national de-
bauchery. and II is simply a historic ac-
cident that the final settlement OF the
account is relegated to the United States.
I'VE are, as IL were, trustee of civ
ilization. In that character We shall pres
emily find ourselves masters of a great
deal of outlying territory, such as Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands,
having by that time already possessed
ourselves OF Hawaii. With these acqutsi-
tions there will spring into existence not
merly a crop of commercial interests
hitherto unknown. but OF national aspira-
tions hitherto undreamed of. We can no
more escape these than We could any 9TH
er imposition of good or i'll fortune.
ITO surrender territory acquired by the
outlay of so much blood and treasure
would be a wanton and cowardly aban-
donment of obligations and opportunities
literally heaven-sent.s for they were not
originally contemplated by anybody. We
cannot remand the Philippines to Spain.
or commit them to a population incapable
of self-government, to become prey OF
European diplomacy Neither can we sell
them TO some purchasing power. We are
bound to keep Porto Rico. il for nothing
else than coaling station, In
case we get ii. Look at the
map OF the West Indies. See
where Cuba lies right across our South
ern water front VIII any sane man say
that we should ever permit 1t once ac-
quired, to pass out of our control?''
these things. change its traditional for
eign policy?"
The traditional stay-at-home and
mind business policy laid down
by Washington was wise for a weak and
struggling nation. and. II II could be ad-
hered to. would be wise for every peo-
pie. But each of the centuries has its
own tale of progress to tell. each raises
up its own problems to be solved. The
difference between scattered population
fringing the East Atlantic seaboard. and
S0,OOG.O9o of people. occupying and trav-
ersing the continent from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, is too great to admit of con-
trast.
las no preceding cycle the intervening
century has revolutionized the world. An
other century may witness the transfer
Of human ambitions and activities from
Europe and America to Asia and Africa.
The Pacific, and not the Atlantic. may
become the wash basin of the universe
Can the United States stand apart and
aside. whilst these movements of man
kind. like a running stream. pass them
by. an isolated and helpless mass of ac-
cumulated and corrupting riches We
could not If We would and we should not
If we could.
I'VE must adapt ourselves TO the
changed order. We must make a new
map The vista. as it opens to our sight,
Is not SO great as would have been the
vista of Texas and California Florida
and Alaska to the eye of Washington.
For all his wisdom the Father of His
Country could not foresee electricity nor
estimate The geographical contractions ii
would bring Already the Old World Is
receding. Another world is coming into
view The craftsmanship of the twen-
tieth century must address itself 20 this
and will be largely constructive in its
character. The cloth has been already
partly cut out. 1t remains for statesmen
20 put ii together so that the world may
wear 1t.
THE United States from now on is des-
tined to be world power. Henceforth
its foreign policy will need to be COM
pletely reconstructed. The man who
would cling to the traditions Of Washing
ton is as one who would reject the rail-
way and travel by the stage coach, or.
distaining the highway, would strike
through the woods
do you think We should permanently
increase our Army and Navy and enter
into a competition with the European
powers in and across the Pacifc?''
Undoubtedly. From nation of shop
keepers we become nation Of warriors.
We escape the menace and peril of So
cialism and agrarianism. as England has
escaped them, by. a policy of colonization
and conquest. From provincial huddle
of petty sovereignties held together by a
rope of sand wes rise. to the dignity and
prowess of an imperial republic incom-
parably greater than Rome.
1T is true that We exchange domestic
dangers for foreign dangers: but in every
direction We multiply the opportunities
of the people. we risk Caesarism. GER
tainly; but even ,Caesarism is preferable
to anarchism. We risk wars; but a man
has but one time to die. and, either in
peace or war he Is not likely to die until
his time comes. Sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof. In short, anything is
better than the pace we were going be-
fore these present forces were started into
life. Already the young manhood Of the
country is as tgoodly brand snatched
from the burning, and given a perspec-
tive replete with noble deeds and elevat-
ing IDEAS"
ION what ground would you favor the
much-talked of Anglo-American alli-
ance?'
II have never been, as you know, an
Anglo maniac. have regarded Eng
land as our greatest rival. Indeed, as a
lifelong friend of Ireland, have held the
English at arms length. But the inter-
position of some disastrous mischance
whenever Ireland has had show of bet
ter times has made me despair of Irish
freedom in that direction and by the
old process of agitation, armed or other