Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-14
OUR FUTURE FOREIGN POLICY.

A national conference will be held at
Saratoga Springs, n. Y, on Friday and
Saturday of this week, to discuss the
future foreign policy of the United
States. This movement to obtain an
expression of intelligent public opinion
upon questions which profoundly coll
Germ the interests and welfare of the
country initiated by the Civic Fedora
ton of Chicago, is timely and the eX-
pectation is that the conference will
be largely attended. The call is nu.
merously signed by men prominent i'll
professional and business life in all
parts of the country, SO that the confer
ence promises to be thoroughly repre-
sentative in character. The call says:
"In Il opinion, this conference should
be composed of men from all parts of
the country, without regard to party
affiliations and irrespective of whether
they are for or against a policy of ter
rltorial expansion, and met whose
ability. position and character entitle
their opinions to the respectful consld-
Grafton of the people," The conference
will discuss the problem of the DISPOSE
ton of the Philippines, the question Of
the construction and control of the
Nicaragua canal by the United States,
International arbitration, with special
reference to the proposed treaty with
England and American commercial in
terests.
All intnIlirn,t A Y,n,;,nrg ,none,ni1n
the supreme Importance of the question
Of Il future foreign policy. AT no
time since the foundation of the gov
eminent has Il more vital problem been
presented and it must be speedily
solved. The nation is confronted with
the necessity of promptly determining
whether it shall %renounce utterly the
foreign policy it has pursued from the
beginning or continue to show at least
some measure of respect for the teach
ings and the example of the wise states
men of the past. Departure from our
traditional policy has, indeed, already
been made. We have annexed Hawaii
and we have made 1T a condition of
peace that Spain shall cede to the
United States Porto Rico and other
West Indian islands and also one OF
the Ladrone group. In thus acquiring
territory remote from our boundaries
we have abandoned our time-honored
policy. But this ACKNOWLEDGEMENT viii
not necessarily involve us in interna.
tional complications or controversies. II
does not bring us into contact with old
world affairs. There Is no European
or Asiatic objection to our having
Hawaii and there will be none to oul
possessing Porto Rico and one of the
Ladrones. 1t is a very different matter
however, in respect to the Philippines
If the United States should retain pos
session of those islands 1t would inevi
tably be drawn, sooner or later, into the
Asiatic complications that are now
threatening the peace of Europe. Ever
those who most ~strenuOusly urge the
permanent occupation of the Philippines
by the United States do not pretend Il
doubt this. This step toward becoming
a world power would bring us int
close relations with political affairs IL
that quarter of the globe and we should
not find it possible to avoid participa
ton i'm the determination of those AT
fairs.
There is unq|uestionably a strong sen
timent in the country, largely CONNER
clal, in favor of this country retainin,
all territory taken from Spain with tn,
exception of Cuba and there are advo
Gates of the annexation of that island