Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-06-02
It IS MANIFEST DESTINY.
Henry German, Editor of the Lon
don Chronicle, Prophesies
of the Future.
THE IMPOSITION OF INVISIBLE HANDS.
A New Era Dawning Upon a Nation Sud-
denly Sprung into POwer-FoIlowing
the Lines of the Moving and Inexorable
Finger of Fate-England and America
One In Interest.

lcle, whose letters from this city dur
ing the Venezuelan boundary dispute
attracted such widespread attention, is
in Washington again as war CORE
spondent of his paper. Last night he
cabled the following to the Chroni-
Gle. and through his courtesy we are
able to present the matter from this
side:
''Since my arrival I have sought dill
gently in all quarters for some outline
or suggestion of the policy to be pur-
sued by the United States in the i'm
mediate future. The result of the war
is foregone conclusion. Each day
news has, therefore, only an incidental
interest. But, wholly without inten-
ton on the part of the administration,
the country is rapidly approaching a
situation where a decision more mo-
mentous than any for a century
past must be taken. The results
of this decision will affect Euro
pean nations hardly less than America
itself. Upon such matter I have been
unwilling to say q word until con-
WINGED it was based upon solid facts.
/ have conversed with almost every
man, beginning with the highest,
whose authority will mold the issue,
and with many old friends and new
acquaintances, representative of all
shades of opinion. The inquiry has
been like the search for a needle in a
haystack, and 1 have now reached the
conclusion that in this particular stack
there is no needle at all.
1mean that neither in the WhiteHouse
nor the state department is there any
definite conviction or determination
concerning the future direction of the
international policy with regard to
the disposal of those oversee posses
sions over which the American flag
will be flying when the war is over.
This may sound like a hostile criticism.
Nothing is further from my mind.
The United States has drifted steadily
towards it's new fate. If the Maine had
not been blown up war would not exist
to-day. The neutrality of England
forced Admiral Dewey's squadron to
sea to smash the Spanish Asiatic squad
ron, and to seize Manila was his only
course. This accomplished, it became
instantly imperative to send him rein
forcements, and these had to be
strong enough to defeat twenty
Spanish regiments 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 they are wholly incapa-
BILE of this, and the military authorities
cooperation with the insurgents,
holding the view that the American
army should act with complete indie
pendence, as to be free to face what
ever occasion may arise, after the
Spanish are expelled. TO President
Mckinley alone is due the escape of
this country from the fatal blunder of
recognizing the insurgents as beliig-
erents, and for this every thinking
American to-day is profoundly CRATE
full. Again, there was originally no
intention of bombarding or Selling
Porto Rico. Admiral SIMPSONS bonn
bardment was a failure; it should have
been sooner and final, or not at all.
That mistake is not to be repeated, and
the second Spanish fleet will not find a
base there.
Moreover, nobody could have fore
seen the extraordinary change of pub
lie opinion after Admiral Dewey's vic
tory. Between April 80 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
intolerant 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 the imposition of in
visible hands. The moving finger has
written, and it cannot be lured back to
cancel half a line"
The question is, will the United
States, when peace is signed, withdraw
within its old limits, abide by it's old
traditions and resist the temptation of
empire; or will it accept boldly what
the fortunes of war have brought and
turn it's face towards new destiny?
The struggle will be long and bitter
The opponents of annexation urge that
the constitution permits no terri
tory to be incorporated in the
Union which cannot become state.
1t is replied that America must
no longer let George Washington do its
thinking for it.
1t is declared that the coun-
try possesses no class Of men
capable of administering eastern coun-
tries, and that these will merely be-
come the prey OF professional poll
ticians The retort is that the neces-
sity of finding such men will compel at
last complete reform of the diplo-
matte and consular services, and thus
deprive the politicians of their old
spoils.
Why" ask the ones, should we
needlessly entangle ourselves with Eu-
ropean powers, and enter the far east
ern perilous arena?"
1--WE are already entangled," reply
the others. Our interests are equal
TO those of England in keeping open
the vast markets of China, and Eng
land will be everborne and China seized
piecemeal unless we range ourselves
alongside her"
1T will take a great army and navy"
say the DIRECTORS.
1T is perfectly certain reply the
annexationists, that the country has
MI - l,a