The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-05-12
THE PHILIPPINES.
A New Problem Demanding Our Atten-
ton.
What Will the United States do With Her
Eastern Possessions-Ne lew Conditions
Require a Revision Of Our Policy.


all eyes We're directed toward Cuba.
We took up arms in order to relieve
the Island of Cuba from intolerable
misrule and its inhabitants from
famine. Very little thought was given
to the Philippines; and yet such is the
irony of fate that the question of the
disposal of the Philippines, which was
scarcely taken into account as posi-
Bile factor in the problems OF the war,
may be the first to demand considera-
tion. The question is an extremely
difficult one, and it is complicated by
an array of ofperplexing side issues. All
the arguments that have been urged
against the annexation of Hawaii,
Cuba or other transmariue territory
apply with redoubled force against the
acquisition of the Philippines. We
would be obliged to amend our con-
stltutlon In order to provide methods
OF civil government for alien depend
encles whose inhabitants are untitled
for incorporation into our community
OF selfgoverning freemen. We would
do violence to fundamental principle
of our national policy if we should
extend our dominion beyond the seas
which surround our continental herit-
age. We would cut adrift from that
doctrine by which we announced our
intention to neither intermeddle in
the affairs of the Old World nor per-
init any intrusion by the nations of
Europe into the affairs of the Western
Hemisphere.
All OF these arguments, however,
have been materially weakened by
the logic of events. For better or for
worse, we have intruded into the
political system of the Far East, with
which we have hitherto had none but
diplomatic and commercial relations.
If the inhabitants of the Philippines
were a race capable of selfgovern.
ment we might conscientiously leave
them to their own devices. If the
islands were altogether a wilderness,
and peopled only by savages, we might
withdraw from all responsibility for
their future destiny. Neither of these
suppositions, however, are true. The
total trade of the Philippines, exports
and imports, amounts to about $4o,-
ooo,o 900 a year. There are commercial
and other interests centered at Manila
and other Philippine ports which re-
qulre protection by responsible gov
ernment, and the nations whose mer-
chants have important trading and
industrial establishments on the islands
might justly demand that we should
assume a stewardship in lieu of that
of Spain, which we have destroyed.
By the force of circumstances we have
thus become, and will be obliged to
remain-at least temporarily--an
Asiatic Power.
Should we deem the duties thus
imposed upon us too onerous, or of a
character that we have no aptitude to
perform, it might, perhaps, be difficult
to find a power, upon whose con-
tinued friendship we could rely, that
would be willing to assume our
burden. There are two governments,
those of Japan and Great Britain,
whose attachment TO the principles of
free trade and whose identity of inter
ests in the far east with our own would
make a transfer to them of the Philip
pines an act of wise policy. A transfer
TO Japan would be peculiarly fitting
the Philippines being geographically
part of that Island Empire-and by
such devolution of power we should
recognize the principle Of casa for
the Asians," which would be kindred
in spirit to our own declaration of
"America for Americans" In view of
the strong and possibly forcible opposi-
tion which would be made by
Franco-Russo- German combination to
a tranfer of the Philippines, either to
England or to Japan, perhaps neither
of those powers would be disposed to
accept the islands at the risk of invit-
ing European Intervention.
There are other considerations in
volved in the settlement of this ques-
ton, however, which might have a
controlling influence upon our deci-
sion. We have become the most
productive industrial nation in the
world and because of the cheapness
and superior quality of our manufac-
tured and agricultural products the
time is near at hand when our foreign
commerce will exceed that of any
other people. We shall be obliged to
afford protection to our shipping on
every sea and to our merchants in
every region of the earth. To this
end our navy will have to be second
to none-and, perhaps, superior to
that of several malevolent rivals in
sea mower We shall need rao,,r