The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-30
WelI-KnOwn Correspondent Reviews
the Situation in This Country
and Gives His Views.
NO DEFINITE ACTION TAKEN
BUT UNCLE SAM, HE SAYS, Is DRIFT
ING TOWARDS HIS NEW FATE.
Affairs Rapidly Reaching Condition
World Must BE Decided.

WASHINGTON, May 29-Henry Norman,
editor of the London Daily Chronicle, whose
letters from this city during the Venezuelan
boundary dispute attracted such widespread
attention, is in Washington again as war
correspondent of his paper. Tonight he
cabled the following to the Chronicle and,
through his courtesy to the Associated
Press, is able. to present the matter from
this side:
"Since my arrival have sought diligently
in all quarters for some outline or sugges-
ton of the policy to be pursued by the
United States in the immediate future. The
result of the war is a foregone conclusion.
Each days news has, therefore, only an
incidental interest. But wholly without in
tention on the part of the administration,
the country is rapidly approaching situa-
ton where decision more momentous than
any for century past must be taken. The
results of this decision will affect European
nations hardly less than America itself. Up
on such matter / have been unwilling to say
word until convinced 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 acquaint-
MISUNDERSTANDING of all shades of opin-
for needle in hay stack, and 1 have now
reached the conclusion that in this partic-
uar stack there is no needle at all.
Il mean that neither in the White House
! nor the State Department is there any def
| mite conviction or determination concerning
the future direction of the national policy
| with regard to the disposal of those oversee
| possessions over which the American flag
| will be flying when the war is over. This
may sound like a hostile criticism. Moth
! ing is further from my mind. The United
States has drifted steadily towards its new
! fate. If the Maine had not been blown up
war would not exist to-day. The neutrality
| of England forced Admiral Dewey's squad
| ron to sea to smash the Spanish Asiatic
| squadron and seize Manila was his only
| course. This accomplished, it became in
| stantly imperative to send him reinforce
| ments, and these had to be strong enough
to defeat twenty Spanish regiments and oc-
| cupy the principal islands. The same is
true of the Atlantic. When war was de-
cIared 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 wholly
incapable of this. and the military author
| tiles have become deeply averse to any CO.
| operation with the insurgents, holding the
| view that the American army should act
with complete independence, so as to be free
to face whatever situation may arise after
| the Spanish are expelled. To President Nc
| Kinley alone is due the escape of this coun-
try from the fatal blunder of recognizing
| the insurgents as bellgerents, and for this
every thinking American to-day is pro-
| foundly grateful. Again there was original
| ly no intention of bombarding or selling
| Porto Rico. Admiral SIMPSONS lombard
ment was 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 base there.
| Moreover, nobody could have foreseen
| the extraordinary change Of public opinion
after Admiral Dewey's victory. Between
| April 30 and May / a revolution took place
! On one day the idea of keeping the Philip
pines had not occurred to any body; 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 complications,
while public sentiment is intolerant of the
idea of the restoring them to Spanish mis-
rule. Thus in every direction events have
moved and the administration has followed.
In Ambassador Hays words, it has been a
case of the imposition of invisible hands.
The moving finger has written, and it can
| not be lured back to cancel half line.'
THE question is, will the United States,
| when peace is signed, withdraw within it's
old limits, abide by its old traditions and
| resist the temptation of empire; or will il
| accept boldly what the fortunes of war have
| brought and turn it's face towards a new
destiny? The struggle will be long and bit
ter. The opponents of annexation urge that
| the Constitution permits no territory to be
incorporated in the Union which cannot be-
come State 1t is replied that America
| must no longer let George Washington do
it's thinking for it, 1t is declared that the
| country possesses class of men capable
of administering Eastern countries and that
| fessional politicians. The retort is that the
necessity of finding such men will compel
at last a complete reform of the diplomatic
and consular services and thus deprive the
| politicians of their old spoils
Why ask the ones. should we need
| lessly entangle ourselves with European
powers, and enter the far Eastern perilouS
arena?
We are already entangled. reply the
| others our interests equal to those of
England in keeping open the vast markets
! of China, and England will be overborne
and China seized piecemeal unless we range
| ourselves alongside her
1T will take great army and navy. say
the DIRECTORS. 1T is perfectly certain, reply
the annexationists, that the country has
| already determined to have a strong navy
and an army such that never again shall we
| be caught in this disgraceful state of I'M
| preparedness. Having these. therefore, why
| should we not use them to advance our
| material interests and the general civiliza-
| ton? Besides, add the annexationists in
! conclusion, we are called upon to take
place in the world commensurate with our
numbers, our wealth, our strength, and our
future. Precisely the same counsels of til
Nudity and the same warnings of disaster
| greeted every old accession OF territory
| and to-day nobody would surrender an inch
In view of this sharp division of opinion, ii
is obvious the only statesmanlike course of
| the President is to finish the war first and
let the policy take care of itself
HE would be bold or reckless man
| who would venture to prophesy the out
| come Still. 2.600 men have gone to Manila
| 5000 are going IN ten days. and more after
wards. probably till 1000 are there. and