The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-11
The EASTERN QUESTION
WHAT 3fr. Carnegie and Others Of his
Way OF Thinking lIgnorcThc Par.

s9l4sffS j Ork JournoI OF SOfnnefCes.f s. n
cnfiou, nIscorcepti6n underlles most
solthe arguments that are made against
MIC Permanent tetcationSof the Philip
pines by the United States. 1t viii be
laohsstyed that the plnnc OF discussion
lins already been shifted from the espe-
darcy OF declaring sovereignty over
these Islands TO the question OF whether
wf Ehoull keep them for M indefinite
pSflcd. Even the American Asiatlc AS
e9c.atlon at Its Meeting last Thursday
fy&t careful 70 qualify Its resolution In
7 ;rfFard to the SestabIlshmen OF a cIy!!
fftsice system for our Aslatic Deepen.
dfHries by the statement that "for a
sttase az least" our government Will be
Eppremc there. 1t may. be judIcious not
K anticipate accomplished facts in
dealing with problems OF statesman
eiiip, but the so-called "anti-expanslon-
lists@ have no such retlcence. Here is
4 Andrew Carnegie, for example, who
works over IN the North American Re-
siew" some familiar fallacies OF his In
fsSard 10 the new responsibilities OF the
AMERICAN people. Mr.. Carnegie's Idea Is
s,ttHt possessions In the East are frnught
With nothing but disaster TO the repub-
iFlIcl Because It becomes thereby exposed
10 tsthe, dangers OF war and OF the nj
most constant rumors and threats of
war TO which all nations interested, :, IN
I The Ear East are subject" tits incon
ceiYablel that "a business man like Mr..
9Clrnegie should not be alive TO the ne
cessity OF preserving for the surplua
pipdncts OF the factories and workshops
Y Or the United States.a free outletto the
tnaekets of the world. 1t Is n little
more obvious than II was last January
that such an outlet cannot be preserved
h without n very clear definition OF the in
tterest possessed BIZ the United States In
the affairs of the Far East. The point
Z that'tAr. Carnegie and the other little
Y An1ericans perversels Ignore IS. that be-
FORE the declaration of war against
Spain the vital Interest OF the United
SsStatesIin preserving the open door In
China vas the most pressing question
ot the hour. There has been a tremen-
Issdouss advance In public appreciation Of
i the Importance OF this subject during
W. iasl bSflNt aiNh diiSG "a
Which the anti-expans.onists have APP
! spareptly been unaware.
gye,hayc made very rapid progress In
deed ssirce 1t was announced year ago
thatSan understanding had been reach
led at a cabinet meeting to the effect
tbatsthe United States was interested
In the protection OF America in
y terests in'China. and thnt this. in some
Il i1scTutable way. removed our govern
4 Inentt from thesfield OF controversy. II
e was also a year apo that III. Sherman.
then secretary OF state. asked: Should
III sbe conceded that China Is to be par
Z titpned ey: the powers how. prnF. Is
sSthatsto interest us materially?" and
thnt Mr.. Dingley said, Were the pow
etseto partition China the result would
be no injury. to this country. none in
HE Ieast'' 1t needed less than six
i&x1onths o. the educating influence o,
ezperlencc 20 show; Mr.. SherInan's suc-
cessor that at would seem Ito be o.
vious that the United States has I'M
pprtant interests Mt stake In the parti-
gf!onof commercial facilities In regions
SIyhieb are likely to offer developing
markets forits goods" II had at least
sbetou1e apparent in .Iune. as II was not
IN Jahu1ry. that the United States could
FTptysit idly by while the three great
European powers who had established
ffeniseives ut points of-vantaEe IN that
efspire, were settling It's commercial
dssttny.in a sense adverse to the inter-
estssnf the United States. People had
ssasnt 10 sec. in short. that the United
5States was quito as much interested as
Great Britain In retaining unimpaired
ats free eden 10 trade with China. Nay.
tnoressit was growing obvious that this
freedom was for the United States an
x t1nperative economic necessity. and that
the coming OF the day was already Wis
fbfeThen tie Struggle had TO be fought
Il ont bet weca the rival types OF civil!Za :
5stionSand systems OF commercial inter-
course which were to triumph in East
eFn5 asia.
These arc considerations which Mr..
4 Carnegie and those like-mladed deliher
tatslV.if not dis!ngenuousiy. ignore. It is
SSeft!re]H beside the question. in view OF
1.-THE attitude which has been taken by
Il Russia In China. to urge that Russia
fshastalweys been the friend OF the Uni
,fSte dsStates. and that we are at this mo-
Ements selling TO her government ship
Sloadssof American locomotives, steel
iprfdses. electrical machinery and the
n likes5s The fact remains tina, the theory
" fllGu
Is hasindopted and has attempted 20 apply
s,ip Aanchuria would be fatal 20 the
sprospects Of our trade with China II Il
were susceptible to further expansion.
& Italready the freedom OF 9TH
EsersHatioHs 10 trade nj the Manchu.iaa
sstreatr por. o: Newchwang. half OF
S&whoEe trade IN cotton textiles is with
SSthej United States Nor Is /: less irrele-
swami to plead that we ought 10 keen on
YEpod. terms with France because OF the
sBsefyiceS which that country rendered to
hfheS United States at the Revolution.
i The colonial s@stem OF France has al
esreaay ruined The promising TIA dc which
thfsscoua;ry had begun in Madagascar:
f5itarenders any commerce of OUTS In In
\ dosGhina impossible. ard IL allowed TO
y pursnc Its natural course /; would close
agatnst us all the markets OF Southern
sLShtna. There Is very little sentiment
5Een bout conditions o: this character In
ational politics has simply become
q Esssies Of questions relating 10 the de-
5ye!opmcnt OF trade. and like the rest O.:
& Z he world. the United States Is conpeli-
take It's place where Il belongs. It
isthfs consideration which renders tre
question OF the Philippines one OF much
larger Significance than IL It related
-yinereE to tho future OF the islands
athemselves. We have a position there
which. whether considered s;ra teS!call;.
or commercially. is far too valuable 10
Y ne surrendered. AS cS-Minister Denbv
4,Shassremarked Il is only the possession
3a1ffheG Philippines that enables us to
dlspense with the necessity Of acquir-
lstnHfa' place of arms In China. That the
Sspossessioa OF the Philippines Is neces-
q ssitySto the maintenance of our position
sa5 asgreat Pacific rower is as obvious a s
aSthatSit would have been much more
Sconyenient for us had there been fewer
a&of5thea9. But MS ;her must be regard .