The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-25

Porto Rico and Manila Must BE
American Possessions, and Cuba
VIII Re Americanized Socially
and Practically, If Not Organize
alIy-PhiIippines He Is Not Sure
About.
Senator Marcus A. Hanna, Of Ohio,
arrived in this city last evening on the
Northern Pacific from the Yellowstone
park. He is accompanied by his daugh-
ter, Miss Ruth Hanna, and the Misses
Phelps and McCurdy The party is
stopping at the Aberdeen.
I'VE have had a most delightful trip"
said Senator Hanna to a reporter for
The G o b e. 1--WE went from Cleve-
land to Duluth by boat and then to
the park. Politics2 I don't want to
say much about politics.
What is this government going to
do with the Philippines?"
THAT is hard to say" replied the
senator. 1.-THE Philippines future is a
problem we cannot solve in hurry.
We, of course, must retain coaling
station there, but / do not think 1t like
ly we shall want more than Manila and
it's harbor. There are docks and yards
there for warships and ample facil-
tiles for keeping our vessels in repair.
I doubt whether we shall require more
than that in the Philippines. We do
not know whether it is desirable to
have the Philippines. We know moth
ing about the people there or the
country. Very little is known about
those islands. I had an interview in
Washington with gentleman who
came from there recently after spend
ing three years in the archipelago, and
ba toll fLof nY,Iy fri nf hn
island Of Luzon had been explored.
There are native tribes that never have
been subject to Spanish rule, and what
we are going to do with these people
is one of the things to consider before
we talk of anneXing them to the Unit
ed States. That mineral wealth Is to
be found in the islands is quite GER
tain, but to what extent the islands
may be developed Is another matter.
Porto Rico is ours by the terms Of
the protocol, and we shall take posses
sion Of the island without delay. 1t Is
an important outpost and belongs to US
naturally.
Cuba is another problem. never
was much of Cuban and am not pre-
pared to commit myself as to the pol
icy we should pursue there. We pro-
pose to establish a stable government
in that island, but what constitutes a
stable government has not yet been
defined. 1 think, however, Cuba will
be an evolution, and in about twenty
years 1t will be so thoroughly Amer
icanized that there will be no question
as to what a stable government there
means.
II do not think there will be for
NAL alliance with England. Whenever
the commercial interests of the two
nations are Identical I believe they
will support each other, morally, If not
physically, but beyond that I do not
believe an alliance will exist. The flag
Of commerce will prevail more gen.
orally than heretofore, and think the
war will result in a wonderful devel-
opment of our merchant marine. That
Il think essential to the commercial SUI
premacy Of this country.
This country is now entering upon
a period Of Industrial and commercial
prosperity such as 1t never has known.
The war has put $780, 600 in circula-
ton. and business in every quarter mas
been stimulated. There was at first a
depression in trade, but the country is
recovering from that and is forging
to the front. Everywhere the story
is the same. The railroads have more
business in sight than ever before, and
the next five years will be years Of
unexeelled prosperity.
1T is too early to speak Of presiden-
tial prospects, but I believe President
Mckinley will be the next Republican
nominee. He will not be candidate
for the Office but the people will call
him and will re-elect him. His course
during this war has been admirable,
and I expect when the time comes even
the st. Paul G O will support him.