The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-12

clause I'm a peace treaty. The Uniteu
States would be confronted with war
for the subjugation Of 5000. 900 Malayare.
This would mean the destruction OF all
property i'm the Philippines. Trade and
commerce would be paralyzed there.
The merchants and manufacturers OF
spain would lose the markets they now
enjoy, their factories would suspend and
their employees lie idle. The markets for
their products would have vanished.
But the United States would not gain
these markets. At least they would gain
them only by fire and sword. The case
OF the Phisppines Is entirely different
from the cases OF Cuba and Porto Rico.
The only obstacle which the United
States had TO overcome In order to. set
up their sovereignty and 10 render il ef-
fective in the Antilles was the power OF
Spain. In our colonies OF Oceanica there
exists population of bout 5000, 900 who
have lived for centuries identified with
Spain. ard an immense majority Of whom
would not accept the decision OF the
mother country should she transfer her
sovereignty, without their consent, TO
foreign nation.
'"rhe whole population OF Mindanao
and the archipelago OF the Visayas. and
the great body OF the Inhabitants OF the
island of Luzon. sympathize with Spain
and have defended her cause with arms
in past Instructions as we'll as i'm the
present one. with the same enthusiasm
as the Spanlards OF the peninsula could
show. All these elements--once the ties
which attach them to Spain were broken
would rise, without doubt, as a single
man in favor OF Independence.
"As TO the attitude OF the Tagalos, al
ready risen i'm arms against Spain. there
can be no doubt. Habits OF fighting al
ready acquired, ambitions awakened by
the assurances OF the chiefs who have
trained the masses TO cry for indepen-
dence. and the hopes which the United
States government itself has raised i'm
them, would all tend 10 make the Tagalos
the bitterest enemies of the United
States. To make this clear, need only
point TO the relationship between their
armed forces and those OF the United
States as shown I'm bloody conflict that
took place between them at Cavite.
The result Of all this would be a war
OF subjugation I'm our islands Of Oceanica
a war which would be very costly in men
as we'll as money for the United States;
q war OF desolation and ruin for the
Philippines and their inhabitants, in
even greater proportions than that i'm
Cuba has been a war which would give
10 one or several powers humanitarian
arguments that would justify their inter.
vention for reasons similar to those that
caused American Intervention in Cuba
I'VE who have such large personal and
business interests in the Philippines view
with dismay the possibility of this ter
rible event. How can Il be that the
American people, who boast OF bringing
intelligence TO bear upon humanitarian
questions. should not hesitate i'm face OF
the certain prospect OF plunging into
such a series OF Inevitable disasters
There would result not only the damage
20 property and loss OF life iHseparable
from all war, but these evils would be
aggravated by the diversity Of races and
the enmity existing between them. rem
dering very difficult the establishment
OF any authority that could keep the
disasters OF war within normal limits.
"All have said would apply equally
whether the United States annexed the
Philippines or established a protector
ate The latter course would either be
absolutely insufficient to maintain order
or would have TO assume such a char
acter as would be regarded and opposed
by the natives as virtual annexation"