The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-10-01
PHILIPPINES
LOST TO SPAIN
Senator Hanna Says the Entire
Group Will Be Retained
OBLIGATIONS TO NATIVES
Require us to Establish a Stable
Government for Archipelago.
WERE ALLIES OF THE AMERICANS
And il is Our Moral Duty to Insure
For Them Civilized Rule.
VERDICT OF COMMISSIONERS
And il is Our Moral Duty to Insure
For Them Civilized Rule.
VERDICT OF COMMISSIONERS
VIII Be That Spain Has Lost AL Rights
To the Philippines and Their
Future Devolve on the
United States.

Cleveland, o., September 5O.-Ihe Leader
has from its Washington correspondent the
following interview with Senator Hanna,
concerning the Philippine question. which
Is believed to represent the views of Presi-
dent Mckinley:
II do not know what the instructions
given to our peace commissioners are
said the senator, ''but so far as concerns
the negotiations which will be instituted
at Paris tomorrow. can see no other re-
suit than that Spain will have to reiinquish
her sovereignty over not only Luzon island.
but the entire Philippine archipelago. Spain
has no reason TO expect to be able TO re-
tain any portion OF the group. She went
into war and lost and now ought to be
prepared to suffer all the consequences
which such a defeat implies l regard the
Philippines as lost to Spain and that being
a forgone conclusion. In my opinion, the
problem which next confronts us relates
10 the form of government which We Will
give the islands.
Undergone a Change
when the Philippine question first pre-
scented itself there was strong sentiment
among conservative. far-seeing and think
ing men in this country which favored the
retention by the United States of merely a
naval base and coaling station in the is
lands-this base presumably being Manila
and the bay contiguous thereto. Since then
this sentiment apparently has undergone
a very marked change and now it appears
that for tho most part these same men who
at first believed that should occupy
Manila alone advocating the termina-
tion of Spanish rule in the whole group.
aside from the fact that the general
sentiment of the country setms to be
against the returning of any of the islands
to Spain, the United States is under obli-
cations to the insurgents to establish
stable and enlightened form of government
throughout tho entire archipelago. When
the war broke out the Philippine insur-
rectionists became in a certain sense the
allies of the Americans, and Il therefore is
our moral duty TO see to f-that in future
they will be assured safe and civilized rule
and until the United States determines In
Just what manner the Philippines ulti-
mately shall be governed we necessarily
will have to consider the Philippines our
wards.
"Durine this transitional period the
limited States will be called upon to exer-
c,se a primitive or rather arbitrary form
of control over the islands and continue it
until congress finally evolves a system of
government.
Temporary Protectorate
an other words, 1t seems to me that we
will have to maintain a temporary pro-
tectorate over the archipelago, and this
will be accomplished by means of the army
ana navy, now in the Philippines and Phil
ippine waters. What will be the ultimate
g. fate of the islands, is, of course, prob
lem Of the future. Whether the Philippines
will become an independent nation or a
colony Of the United States or whether a
long time American protectorate will be es-
tablished will be a subject for congress to
decide.
"It is well understood that Spain must
abide by the verdict of our peace commits
sioners, whatever that may prove to be,
for she is in fit condition to renew the
conflict which has resulted so disastrously
to her. She has no reason to expect that
our commissioners will agree to any propo-
sition which contemplates the continuation
of Spanish control over any part or all of
the group. feel confident we will have no
further trouble in armed way with
Spain. The only obstacle with which we
have to contend is the opposition Of the
insurgents to our plans. 1t is not at all
certain, of course, that we will encounter
any such obstacle, though 1t assuredly is
among the possibilities However, from
what have read of the mission of Agon-
clio the personal representative of Aguin-
aldo. then we may find the Philippines
tracable and willing to accept whatever
form of government we may finally decide
upon. so long as Spain will have no hand
in its administration"
Regarding the reports which come from
Paris that one of Spain's propositions to
our commissioners will be that the United