The times., 1898-07-03
An English Correspondent
Thinks We Viii Expand.
FUTURE OF TIE PHILIPPINES
ssThe weather Nane Which Shows
the Peoples breath Has Swung
Clean Round" - The Western
Course of Empire Inherent With
the Nature of Things.

London, June 2.-The Chronicle pub
fishes today a copyright cable by its spe-
cial correspondent. Henry Norman. on
New America; Its Policy of Expansion"
He says:
The new America. as l described in
the first letter of this series, will be
armed to defend against any enemy the
national policy she may decide to pursue.
The next question, of course. is what viii
her policy be? No more important ques-'
ton exists at this moment. The nation.
nearly eighty million strong, with un-
approached natural resources. enormous
and marvelously organized industrial en-
,erprises, intelligent and ambitious be-
yond the average. soon TO be one of the
great powers on the sea, has hitherto
been content to think only of its own
defense and to cast pitying looks ac-
companied by moral disquisitions upon
the nations of Europe dispurng with each
other the lands of Asia and Africa.
Avoid foreign entanglements. the ad-
vice Of the founder Of the Republic, has
been written. one might say, across every
American flag Anybody who should
have prophesied in the Spring of the year
thar has not reached midsummer that
the United States was about to embark
upon a policy of territorial aggrandize-
ment, of imperialism. would have been
laughed at for a fool
into Manila Bay and MS destruction of
dhe Spanish squadron finer naval ex
plot than is yet admitted abroad-he
sowed the seed which viii never be up
rooted. The inconceiva5,e was accom-
plished AS in the salvation of Faust, the
problem whether America could, should
or would seize alien countries became OBJ
solete in one morning. The fortune OF
war gave her the Philippines, on the far
shest side OF the globe Public opinion
accommodated Itself 10 the change as au-
.omaucaIly ana as quickly as the govern
or Of an engine to a sudden Increase OF
steam pressure. Between April 80 and
May ! the weather vane wn.ca shows the
peoples breath swung clean around. The
practical American read the news. asked
himself, Well, why not? and hung an
other flag out of his window.
These coming events constitute, Of
course vast change from everything
America has hitherto done, but of them
selves they do not of necessity imply any
sweeping change of policy. Cuba libre'
means an act OF humanity, while Hawaii
and Porto Rico are the naval bases in a
new scheme of national defense.
Obedience to the teachings Of Wash
Gngton's farewell address may remain in
tact though Porto Rico comes under the
same principles of government with a
different rractice) as Cuba and Haiti.
Two other facts are full of significance.
First, moderate tariff. not at all the
Dins.ey one, has been framed for Ma
Mia. Second. Mr.. Day. the Secretary of
State. has applied to Congress for 500, 00t
TO pay the expenses Of commercial mis-
sion and has drawn special attention TO the
fact that American manufacturing pro-
ductivity has reached the point of large
excess above the demand of home con.
sumption These facts signify that Amer.
ica with her astounding growth of ex.
ports is turning toward the markets Of
the Far East
(which policy viii prevail? In exact
language, viii America retain the Philip
pines2 II is rash. and possibly reckless
to answer such a question now, but sc
far as l can see / think she will Som,
OF the grounds for this opinion may be
easily given. First, what else can America
do with them? Cede them to England, tC
Japan? Neither would take them at such
critical moment. Put them up to auc-
tion among the European powers, to Sc
ceivable Hand them back to Spain;
Public opinion would never tolerate it
Retain coaling station and cede ths
rest piecemeal among the powers? Sucf
a course has been hinted at but it woult
be a fatal course, the worst mistake pos
sible, a policy fraught with every kint
Of peril Allow the insurgents undel
AguinaIdo to set UP a republican gov
ernment under American protection? Th'
idea is laughable TO everybody wh'
knows the Philippine native and has seer
for himself how east is east and west il
west. There seems for an American M
safe and sensible course except the OLE
and simple one of keeping what she ha.
taken.
Besides this negative argument, ther'
are positive ones to the same effect
Some are metaphysical. such as the ar
gument that the western course of EN-
pire is inherent with the nature o
things. Some are sentimental, such a
the strange magnetism Of the Orient tha
has now begun to draw Americans as i
has so long drawn Englishmen, and vii
never let them go.
Some arguments are economical, sue
superabundant manufactures markets nc