The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-14
WHY NOT KEEP LUzON 2

AS Lincoln remarked to a Kansas
delegation, VINO were urging him to
prosecute the war more vigorously,
that there was a great deal more in it
than they suspected, illustrating his
point by the famous anecdote of the
negro and the bIack-snake, so with this
Philippine question. The Philippine
problem involves vastly more than any
settlement with Spain. The dispatches
plainly indicate that the administration
approaches the question very gingerly.
The powers Of Europe who will not in
terpose even a criticism over our taxi
ing possession of all the Spanish hold
ings in the West Indies, and who did
not open their lips when we raised Old
Glory over Hawaii, will present a diff
ferent front when it comes to disposing
of the Philippines. Emperor William
has not been logging the heels of
Dewey for months for nothing. AS we
set forth in an editorial elsewhere, the
partition of China would probably be
an impossibility with the Philippines in
the hands of Japan. That scheme
would prove equally difficult were those
islands in the possession Of the United
States or of England Believing that
the United States would find the gov
erning of Malayan people Improbable,
the Eagle has from the first favored
the holding of only port and city AMI
their surroundings, together with a few
scattered coaling stations, turning the
islands over to England. That Presi-
dent Mckinley is opposed to the reten-
ton of these islands as a whole, there
can he little doubt. He simply wants
an ample American foothold. In that
we think he is right. He will insist,
probably, upon holding Manila, Manila
bay, Cavite. Corregidor and the sur
rounding country, possibly the whole
Of LuZOn. Luzon is only one island of
1,400. But Luzon is practically the
whole thing from a military and COM
mercial viewpoint. If he carries this
point we Will have about all there is
CT the Philippines that is worth having
There IS no Imperialism in holding Lu-
zon, the total area Of which is 10000
square miles. with a population of
about 5000 GOO. The fact is, President
Mckinley has not made any Official
ct q Frf~ h. -
mitted in the peace proposition or the
items Of the protocol. which have not
yet been made public. 1t is only from
personal expressions that the convic-
ton has become current that the presi-
dent does not desire the holding Of the
PHILIPPINES entire.
Luzon is the only island in which the
authority OF Spain is or has been prac-
ucally undisputed. SPANS trade has
been principally with Manila, which is
the chief port Of the island Of Luzon.
Her dominion over the other islands
has been confined mostly 70 a narrow
belt along the coast, and Nindanao, the
second largest island Of the group. with
an area Of 1886 square miles. and with
a large population. has been virtually
independent Of Spain and under the
control OF Malay chiefs.
If the president shall refuse to ask
for more than naval, coaling and
commercial station, with the island OF
Luzon as surrounding territory. he can
no; be accused Of a grasping- imperial
ambition. AT the same time the taking
of Luzon would be suca a vital loss TO /
Spain as would appease all who think !