The times., 1898-06-30
THURSDAY, JUNE 80. 1898.
The Problem at Manila.


The very acute situation which has
confronted, and we fear still eonfronts,
Admiral Dewey at Manila may with
perfect truth and propriety be laid at
the door Of the Administration We do
not offer this statement in any spirit
of carping criticism. The Times has al
ways shown not only willingness but
eagerness to support Mr.. Mckinley in
everything he has appeared TO do or
essay in the direction of a vigorous
prosecution OF the war, or in any policy
or course likely to rebound to the bene-
fit or the glory Of America That does
not operate TO close our mouth to the
utterance Of a truth when ii happens
to reflect unpleasantly upon the Presi-
dent or his advisers.
We must say, therefore. that if con-
ditions at Manila are unsatisfactory
and promising Of international compli-
cations or worse, the Administration
has itself TO thank for the fact, and its
wicked inertia up to two weeks ago to
blame for the troubles We seem about
TO encounter. II there had been Yigor
and understanding in the White House.
and the State. War and Navy building
commensurate with the demands OF the
occasion. when Dewey destroyed the
Spanish squadron at Cavite and placed
Manila at the mercy Of his guns. there
would not now be all this talk and ap-
prehension of hostile acts on the part
of Germany A mere force of fifteen
hundred regulars. promptly forwarded,
would have enabled our admiral 10 oc-
cupy the city and TO hoist the stars
and Stripes over il. If that had been
au fait accompli fifteen days ago. even.
the matter which now appears about To
become an international question would
have been ultimately settled by the sur
render Of Gen. Augustin to the Ameri-
can Navy and Army
But for weeks after Dewey's victory
there was paralysis followed by par
tiaI recovery and vacillation at the ma
tional headquarters. There was appa-
rently dense ignorance of the risks
which delay in sending help would in
volve. and twenty-five days were per-
mitted to elapse before the first small
division Of the Philippine expedition
was finally started away from San
Francisco. No haste was made in
preparation. The preliminaries of the
movement We're conducted with pom
derous and criminal red tape and leis-
are; and We begin to see and appreci-
ate the probable consequences.
If the President had walked up to the
necessities and dangers of the hour six
weeks ago in the way he did two weeks
ago, the international entanglements
which may have been brought about in
the Orient by our tardy indifference
could not have been possible If the
American flag had been floating from
the Flagstaff of Augustin's palace on
the 18th of June. the hostile game that
Germany is suspected of playing would
not have been thought of.
When will our authorities learn the
lesson that they cannot leave crack.
much less a door. open in times like
these. lest the wind of rivalry and en-
Wy blow an enemy in? One would
think that sad experience in the De
LONE incident, in giving away diplo-
matte advantage on the Maine ques-
tion, and, later. in indulging in the fool
ish pacific blockade" policy in front
Of Havana would have brought wis
dom! But there has been too much
reason TO think that every new situa-
tion has suggested its appropriate per-
turbation and blunder.
II is time 10 put an end to such
things We must accept the ills that