The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-04
OPINIONS OF DIPLoMATEs.
Future of the PhiIippines-NO News OF
Manila's Surrender.

WASHINGTON, May 3.-The French am
~bassador, NJ. Jules Cambon, has received a
dispatch from the Foreign Office at Paris
stating that the French ambassador at
Madrid, M. Patenotre. has forwarded off,
cial details of the Spanish reverses at Ma
Mia. Mr.. Patenotre's report was based on
the latest Spanish official advices. 1t states
that the Spanish cruisers Reina Maria
Christina and Castillo were burned after be-
ing set on fire by bombs from the enemy's
(American) ships. Two of the smaller
Spanish ships, the dispatch states, were
sunk in order to avoid falling into the hands
of the enemy. The other Spanish ships were
half destroyed and took refuge in Bakers
bay.
The British embassy has received no re-
ports of any character as to the Manila bat
tie, so there is no basis for the statements
that the State Department has been in
formed by British officials here that Manila
has surrendered to Dewey.
In the absence of specific advices from
Manila, members of the diplomatic corps
are discussing with great interest the future
course of the United States toward the
Philippine islands. They do not doubt that
the island win be occupied by the American
forces. if, indeed, the occupation has not al
ready occurred. The only question on that
point is said to be the number of men Com
modore Dewey can spare from his fleet to
make up a landing party sufficient to hold
Manila and other points, when large garri-
sons of Spanish troops are there. 1t is the
future of the Philippines, however, which
most interests the foreign authorities here.
AS to this. a leading diplomatic official said
1t was unfortunate at this juncture that the
assertion was made by Leading men here
held at least until the wal is ended, when
they might be sold to Great Britain or
Japan. He pointed out that while this
course might be a wise one in due time, yet
its announcement now only served to
awaken European powers at a moment
when it was needless and impolitic to ex-
cite resentments in those quarters. There
was no principle of international law, he
said, which kept a victorious nation from
enjoying the fruits of warfare by holding
territory gained in battle. Intervention by
the powers of Europe, he pointed out, was a
new procedure quite apart from interna-
tional law and based only on the strength
of this united action. But. he added signi1-
cantly, united squadrons often make inter-
national law.
The suggestion that Great Britain would
take the Philippines in exchange for the
Bermudas and other British possessions
near this country, is not regarded as feaS-
ible. 1t is pointed out that the Bermudas
and other British West Indian possessions
have far greater prospective value to the
country than the Philippines, owing to the
command they have TO the Nicaraguan
canal or any other interoceanic waterway
between North and South America. Such
a canal would be a highway for the British
to and from British India, and it
is said that the possession of coaling sta
tons and ports near the canal are of far
more concern to England than her remote
iEsular possessions in Asiatic waters.
There has been no suggestion here of in
tervention from any foreign source, al
though it is felt that the occupation of the
Philippines is more likely to develop a move
in this direction than any other step thus
far taken. A diplomatic official of1ong eX-
perience in Asiatic countries pointed out
that there We're circumstances connected
with the Philippines which would make
their holding by the United States more of
a burden than a benefit. He said their pop
ulation was made up Of Malays, Japanese,
Chinese and half-breed Spaniards, mixed
with the former races, making an incon-
gruous people impossible to assimilate with
American Institutions. The status of the
people, he said. was far below those of Gu
ba or Hawaii, so that objections which had
been made against assimilating the Ha-
waiians and Cubans would be doubly strong
against the people of the Philippines.