Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-07-20
The Game Not worth the Candle.

Arnold White, the well-informed
London correspondent of Harper's
Weekly, writes as follows in his last
letter:
THE news from the Philippines,
reaching London through private
sources, is not encouraging. Specula-
tion has begun as to whether the
United States, in the long run, will
find the game worth the candle of hold
ing and governing their new Eastern
possessions. Trustworthy evidence has
reached me that the situation in the
Philippines is graver than is repre-.
sented in the English press, and that
further achievements on large scale
will be necessary before the United
States can settle down to the peaceful
enjoyment of their Eastern empire.
According to the information on which
/ rely, force of 10000 men will be
required before American possessions
in Asia are at peace--a force about
equal to the white garrison in British
India. The cost OF despatching and
maintaining such an army for one year,
together with the necessary admins
tration, will scarcely be less than
$50, 100000 Looking at the other side
of the balance-sheet, the population of
the Philippines is now estimated at
s, 900, 600, and according to the latest
figures the imports are $40, 937, 500. and
the exports $40, 1855. $50; together,
So, 693, $50. OF this amount, Great
Britain enjoys, and is likely to enjoy,
the lions share of the benefits arising
from the lavish expenditure of Ameri-
can life and treasure in the conquest of
group Of islands principally remark
able for the vieness Of the climate and
the turbulence and bigotry OF their
half-nude population.
Under these circumstances, the
unaffected pleasure with which the
average EDglishman has witnessed the
substitution of the American flag for
that of Spain in the Oriental Alsacia
is easily intelligible. Sincere friends
of the United States, however, are
completely at loss to understand the
grounds for policy of expansion which,
| under all conditions, involves enormous
cost, even If every dollar of the Philip
pine trade flowed into American Golfers.
The administration Of India is only
possible to England because Hindustan
is rich enough to give the British gar
rison free quarters and to pay the cost
of the administration. If the Indian
budget were to exhibit any such deficit
as that which is inevitable in the
Philippine balance-sheet, it is certain
that the electorate would decline the
barren honor of an Imperialism that
touched their pockets, and would
promptly relinquish their Asiatic pos
sessions. In other words, England
holds on to India because it is profit
able to do SO. Colonial authorities who
have made study of the situation tell
me that, in their opinion, the American
public will soon discover that the cost
of holding the Philippines is out of all
proportion to the possible benefits to
be received, and that the burden i'm
posed on the American taxpayer will
involve either the evacuation of the
islands or such arrangements with the
insurgents as will reduce the cost Of
American control to nominal sum. IL
these views are not articulated in the
English newspapers, it is because the
average editor is too patriotic to say
anything that might suggest the retire.
ment of the United States from posi-
tion favorable to British commercial
interests in Asia. Hitherto England
has paid for the open door through
which Americans have passed. That
the United States should pour out life
and treasure like water for the benefit
of the world is entirely in accordance
with British ideas.
Here is practical view of the situa-
tion from plain business standpoint,
in which sentiment has no considera-
tion. Sentimentally, this country has
not leg to stand upon in defence Of
its war policy. If, therefore, this
policy is not warranted by considera-
lions of either sentiment or business,
then assuredly the game lis not worth
the candle.