Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-27
ATKINSON's CONDUCT.
An Impartial View of the Case nv
English Papers.
From the London Times.

From the London Times
1t is often difficult to form true esti-
mate of the balance of public opinion in
ones own country, and it is infinitely more
difficult to gauge it in another But, so far
as can be seen, the Impotence which is so
loudly expressed by an important section of
the American people may be regarded as
! superficial. The prolongation of hostilities
Is found Irritating, largely, we believe, be-
cause ii Is new experience. Yet even
among those who oppose President Nc kin
icy poIlcy most stOutly We do not find 9ny
who are really prepared to abandon il
Ihey are angry because 1t works out in
what they regard a slow fashion but ~
lis reversal We're put to them point blank
rev or none would be found to say thai the
country, after all this expenditure Of blood
ana treasure should retreat from the posf-
ton II has taken up, and leave the PhiIin-
pines as d political dereict. Yet the choice
really lies between that course and patient
~ reducing the islands to order under
American control Desiring the end the
Americans must be content to use the
means Criticism of the particular meas
ures taken by the administration or by the
military authorities is, of course peri
legitimate for Americans, though good taste
ana consciousness of imperfect knowledge
impose great caution upon outside oh
servers.
1t is not fair, however, to condemn The
administration or to decry the military
authorities on account of the inherent t!ifi-
| CuIties Of the task unless the DeonIe arc
prepared 10 affirm that the PhfIinnines
ought TO be abandoned altogether Rea-
| sonaDIe terms, including a large measure az
internal autonomy, are, We doubt not, at
the disposal OF the Filipinos whenever they
please to listen to reason In tn meantime
| there Is nothing to be done but to Prosecute
the task of bringing them TO reason unless
as We nave said, the American peop!a really
Y n b.
! defeat This. however is incre,Iib}a ar3
we are not aware that tha wiIdes. anti-im-
| perialist is prepared to justify his diatribas
! ny advocating such course in plain lar
guage.
In the meantime, patriotism should s,,g
/ E5st greater moderation than is sometimes
| dlspIdyed in the expression of impatipnne
with the unavoidable. There can be no az
| cnse Tor the conduct of which Mr. Atkinson
seems TO have been guilty, in attempting TO
address directly to troops in the field VIC
! l7nt denunciatiOns of the whole policy
which II IS their duty to carry out. His
Pamphlets have been stopped nv tha Pos.
master General acting under the orders Of
the cabinet. and though the measure Is n
strong one. w should be sorry To affirm
that II is not justified by the circumstances
IL Wouid nave been better, perhaps. as p
matter of form. TO leave it to the n.roI
commanding in Manila to intercopt Uter9-
lLi- directly subversive of discipline But
aiter all that Is only question of form
.le essence OF the matter being that mill
/ Iary dlsciplne must be maintained in all
cHcums ttnces and at all costs There is
( no question OF freedom of discussion or of
| admlnistrat tive sensitive ness to criticism.
| From the London Globe
| The unfortunate thing is that in the Tint
| ed States. even where the interests of ITO
whoIe country are at STAKE, the politicians
/ cannot KEEP silent. The dissracefuI con-
| duct of Mr. Edward Atkinson and the ,thnr
/ antl-eNpanslonists demonstrates that the
| sef-rtstralnt and sacrifice of party feeling
| Tor the common good. of which in This
/ country W only short time back had 50
strlklns demonstration. scarcely exist on
t the other sid of the Atlantic One canDnt
/ imagine even the most rabid socialist call
| Ing himself an Engishman arranging for
/ the distribution of sedtious pamphlets TO