The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-01
No Probability that This Government
Will Pay Anything for Terri
tory 1t Now Controls.
BOLD BLUFF BY THE DoNS
REINFORCEMExTs, IT is SAID. WILL
BE HURRIED TO THE VIZA1As.
Protest to Be Sent to washington
Against Allowing Filipinos to Hold
Prisoners-The Peace Commission.

CLEVELAND, Sept. 30.-The Leader has
from its Washington correspondent the fol-
lowing interview with Senator Hanna con-
cerning the Philippine question which is
believed to represent the views of President
Mckinley: Il do not know what the in
structions given to our peace commissioners
are" said the senator, but so far as CON
Germs the negotiations which win lie insti-
tuted in Paris tomorrow, / can eec 10 other
result than that Spain will hgva "a rclin-
quish her sovereignty over not only l4uzon
island, but the entire Philippine archipel-
ago. Spain has no reason to expect to be
able 10 retain any portion of the group She
went into the war and lost and now ought
to be prepared to suffer all the consequences
which such defeat implies. / regard the
philippines as lost to Spain, and that being
a foregone conclusion, in my opinion the
problem Which next confronts us relates to
tie form of government which we viii give
the islands.
When the Philippines question first pre-
sented itself there was a 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
islands-this base presumably being Manila
and the bay contiguous thereto. Since then.
however, this sentiment, apparently. has
undergone very marked change. and no7y
1t appears that for the most part these
same men who at first believed we shohld
occupy Manila alone are advocatine ti
termination of Spanish rrle in the xsAasle.
group.
Aside from the fact that the general
sentiment of the country SENS to be against
returning any of the islands to Spain. the
United States is under obligations to the
insurgents to establish a stable and en-
nghtened form of government throughout
the entire archipelago. When the war
broke out the Philippine insurrectionists be-
came, in a certain sense, the allies of the
Americans. and it, therefore, is our moral
duty to see to it that in the future they
Will be assured safe and civilized rule. and
until the United States determines in lust
what manner the Philippines ultimately
shall be governed we necessarily will have
to consider the Philippines our wards.
During this transitional period the
United States will be called on to exercise
primitive or rather arbitrary form of con-
troll over the islands and continue il until
Congress finally evolves a system of gov
ernment. In other words, it seems to me
we will have to maintain temporary pro-
tectorate over the archipelago, and this will
be accomplished by means of the army and
navy now in the Philippines and the Philip
pine waters. What will be the ultimate fate
or the islands is, of course, problem of the
future. Whether the Philippines will be-
come an independent nation or a colony Of
the United States or whether a longtime
American protectorate will be established
will be subject for Congress to decide.
1t is we'll understood that Spain must
abide by the verdict Of our peace commits
sioners, whatever that may prove to be- for
she is in no fit condition to renew the con-
nlct which has resulted so disastrously to
her. She has no reason to expect that our
commissioners will agree to any proposition
which contemplates the continuation of
Spanish control over any part or all of the
group. l feel confident we will have nc
further trouble in an armed way with Spain.
The only obstacle with which we may have
to contend is the opposition of the insur-
gents to our plans 1t is not at all certain.
OF course, that we will encounter any such
obstacle, though it is assuredly among the
probabilities. However, from what l have
read of the mission of Agvncillo, the per
sonal representative of Aguinaldo, the in
surgent chieftain, we may find the Filipinos
tractable and willing to accept whatever
form of government we will finally decide
upon, so long as Spain will have no hand
in its administration"
Regarding the reports which come from
Paris that one of Spsin's propositions to our
commissioners will be that the United States
pay her 500, 100000 for the REIMBURSEMENT of
the Philippines, Senator Hanna said signifi-
cantly: I'VE are not paying money for or
buying territory which we now control"