Evening star., 1898-10-29
The President Returned From the
West an Expansionist.
BROADENING OF His FOREIGN POLICY
From Coaling Station to Control
of the Philippines.
POPULAR SENTIMENTGAUGED

Whether or not the Presidents western
tour has any bearing on politics of this
campaign. 1T is likely to have a very I'M
portant influence upon the future OF this
country. The President was not an original
eNpansionist. He was as reluctant TO enter
upon this new policy as he was TO have
this country mixed UP IT, the Cuban qtIes-
uon The conviction that we must have
war with Spain was of slow development
with him. Even the conviction that ne had
any right to interfere between Spain and
CUBA was OF slow growth. Not only does
ne belong 10 conservative school Of poli-
tics, but personally he shrinks from inno-
vations.
Ii is no secret that the President would
have been embarrassed if he had been call
ed upon to decide upon terms of peace with
Spain Immediately upon the collapse, OF
Spalns power of resistance The. uroyisfon
OF the protocol by which Spain relinquished
her sovereignty in Cuba and Porto Rico
ieaNlhg the Philippine question for future
consideration, was no more in Difference
10 the delicate position in which Spafn was
placed than 1t was in consideration OF the
uncertainty as to the policy to be followed
py TINS government. AT the time the proto-
Col was signed there was no purpos.. deli
niteiy formed to go beyond the retention
OF coallng station in the Philippines
Ihere was no determination TO stop al that
buA pldAlS Idu dNdllGeu no further
when the Commission Was APPOINTED
The character of the commission selected
finally TO meet with the Spanish commits
sioners at Paris had much TO do with ex-
pandlng the policy of the administration
Inc strongest men appointed on the COM
mission were liberal eApansiouists selected
not on account OF that but because tn.v
We're the most capable men 10 b. got 10
serve and because they would be the priuci-
pal agents IN the ratification OF a peace
treaty by the Senate
1t is known that at the time of m. an
polntment of the peace commission Ih,,
ffesldent was much concerned lest wa
snould pe driven TO the adoption OF "A broad
er polcy than the traditions of this goy-
efnment seemed TO the President In war
rant 1t was not until alter the confer
ence with the commissioners before their
departure for Paris that il was determined
lhdt we must hold the entire island OF Iu-
Zoh and demand mat a satisfactory gov
ernment be provided for the resi- of the
group, with the agreement on The part OF
Spain mat none OF the Islands should be
parted with 10 any foreign power without
the consent of this government That we
would not assume the Cuban debt and like
questions With which the Spanish commits
stoiieis i nave been taking up the time Of
the commission was decided on AL the ont
set, but The question of whether or NOT we
would even be willing to undertake the re-
sponslbIllty for the Philippines was nor de-
termned.
Popular Sentiment Gauged
II was only few weeks ago, after the
political campaign was well on that MIR.
mamma, returning to Washington from the
west, had a long talk with the President
after which he declared that the Spanish
nag would not be permitted again To- fv
over the Philippines. That was the date
OF the administration taking thai ta-
vanced stand. Mr.. Hanna SAID that ne mad
found that popular sentiment d, m:.ndei
tnat tnat TINS government should annex the
Phll1pplnes as entirety but thai he
thought the people would be Content witb
the assurance that the Islands should NOT
De again subjected to Spanish misrula Thfs
was far ia advance Of any n, sttlon Mr.
Hanna had before occupied. and sin n. ore
IN advance of what the P-esid alt had ilIti-
mated as his desire. 1t V Is taken in defer
ence TO public sentiment. This WAS the ex-
IRENE OF the policy contemplated uuriI
after the Presidents visit to the west
The President an Expan.ionist.
The President found shat all other ques-
tions were considered with coldness 10y his
audiences compared with The tremendous
enthusiasm which greeced any remark
winch suggested the possibility of a policy
or expansion being prosecuted The iniu
ence OF this sentiment was apparent upon
the PRESIDENTS spea chcs, and the more
openly ne intmated policy of expansion
the greater was the enthusiasm aroused
1t made decided impression unon h,m
and he returned to Washington convinced
that policy of expansion was demanded
py great majority OF the people Of this
country. Since then more aggressive at
tltude has been assumed toward the Paris
negotiations, and members of the cabinet
say that there is no longer any doubt and
no purpose 10 conceal the fact that this
government will insist upon the rhsofrta
REIMBURSEMENT of Spanish sovereignty cSer
any part of the Philippines
The Presidents tour in the west has made
an expansionist OF him.