The times., 1898-05-09

there would be serious consequences to-
US all the same and In any case the OBJ
vious complications Will prObab bly, fright
en- of our possible buyers. at least un-
til such time as they finally determine 10
have it out with one another in the al
ready seriously strained Far Eastern sit
uation-
''As to Japan. she is not ripe TO take
or administer a responsibility of this sort.
as her non-success with FOrmosa shows.
and II she were intrusted with il there
would be not only like European jealousy
encountered. but also a positive menace
to our own future in the Pacific. and.
as well. a serious detriTnent TO our exist
ing trade and ASiatic relations. OF
course. under these conditions viz. the
possible necessity of our holding the Phil
ippines and our corresponding inability To
readily dispose of them. We are confront
ed by an apparent collision with our long
standing pOlicy-in short with that feat
ure OF the Monroe doctrine which. by the
warning off OF other nations from our
immediate adjacent territorial con-
Germs, has been sometimes construed To
imply a corresponding abnegati6n on our
part in the matter Of foreign or outside
territorial acquisitions.
Mr. Olney contended in his recent Har-
ward speech. in effect. that the theory
of our non-intervention in outside affairs
enunciated BY Washington should be
taken as applying to this nation only
during its time Of youth or adolescence.
and must be modified BY the different cir
cumstances attending its maturity.
But with our national growth there
has unfortunately been no attendant
growth Of institutions appropriate 10 the
management of matters outside OF our
own country, such as remote and subject
races who cannot be intrusted with the
J-.rTr 10 FHrHrr
States Of the Union This difficulty con-
frOnted US although in less degree in
contemplating the annexation Of Hawaii
II exists also in the Cuban question. much
as we may hope that Cuban may hereaf-
ter be able to take care OF itself as an
independent republic. Holding the Philip
pines of course involves a larger Navy
and a more considerable standing Army
and possibly requires the acquisition Of
Hawaii as we'll and that there viii he
in any case serious friction encountered
by us through the Jealous opposition Of
certain of the European nations Other
than the English in all this business goes
without saying.
1T seems TO me our weakness and the
possible peril of the situation here Gre
| ated lie in our lack OF institutions htted
to the administration Of colonial posses
sions. If We had had any Of the eNpe-
/ rience Of the English. and. above all. any
/ thing approximating the trained force OF
4 administrators which she always has at
I hand. or even such a force % colonial
| mana gers as the Dutch maintain in lava
/ and Sumatra. the ease would be different.
but we have none such. and they az not
/ to be created at a breath. especially By a
4 nation as scoTuful Of education OF special
! fitness as we have been in the matter OF
/ our consular selections and foreign repre-
/ sentatives generally. or which mas pro-
! duced the crop Of carpetbaggeIs which
/ once administered the South
/ If 18th us the future colonial govern
/ Orships and minor foreign posts could be
I left in the hands OF 0Cr army and navy
I officers it would be weH. but thcy must
| necessarily become the sport of the pO-
I IiJical bosses. There viii be also many
I puzzIiug questions OF tariffs. taxa tion. 10
/ cal regulation and other matters too nU-
I meroUs TO be here discussed, which must
/ be dealt with but whatever the dificul-
I ties are We viii probably have 20 con-
front and adjust :hem somehow. for the
: idea Of reaping the i-Uit Of conquest ant
! Of extending our domain VIII prove over
/ pOweringly captivating 10 the nation az
/ large One Interesting collateral point.
/ not here 50 Immediately affecting us, -
I the possibility that our sudden appear
I ance as a far Eastern power may inci-
I dentaIly so disturb -hinss as TO touch
| match TO the infsaulTls1bIe conditions now
/ existing on the AsItic mainland, in Chi
/ na. however little We intend IL Already
| we hear suggestions of war risks being
( taken up in London on commerce iE the
/ China seas, and Lord SaIisbury's recent
/ speech was not eucOUrasing in tone TO
/ those who hope 10 make the trembling
/ Asiatic balance steady"