The record-union., 1899-07-01

to speak to- that body on Americas in
terests in the Far East, which engage
meiH he fulfilled on JuxIe LIST. Other
addresses followed, by invitation Of
prominent organizations in Chicago and
elsewhere.
The interest of the MESSAGE which he
brings to the people of this country is
easily explained; he holds his convic
tons so strongly and expresses them
SO vigorously, with the courage to in
sist upon the points he makes, and if
necessary frapper fort, that the effect
is almost dramatic; he pushes back
still farther the horizon of our politics
and our commerce, which recent events
have so vastly widened; he realizes not
only an enormously profitable trade
with the Philippines, but still greater
opportunities in China. As for our new
possessions, he says that if he were
asked what is ..the first great desidera-
tum for American success in the Phil
ippdnes, Porto Rico, Hawaii and Cuba,
he would reply unhesitatingly, and yet
deliberately, men, Given first an Act
of Congress providing for a special civil
service for such possessions, out of
which politics will be barred and bolt
ed; then given, secondly, men of quail
ity and integrity-for we have plenty
Of them-to fill the necessary positions,
and the problem of American Govern
ment or control of the islands will be
forever solved Manila, he thinks,
may prove worthy rival of Singapore,
Hongkong, Shanghai and Yokohama in
the vast commercial exchanges Of the
Far East-may in the near future have
a foreign trade of $1OO,C00,O0O, and
when once she is fairly in the running
with her neighbors, under American
impetus and training, reach out and
control $50, 600, O0O to $500, coo, 900. The
archipelago, as whole, he commends
in these terms: Z am prepared to state,
and prove if questioned, that a richer
Isolated land, or group of islands, view
ed comparatively as to area and pop
ulation, variety of agricultural, min
eral and forest resources undeveloped,
as well as those already improved, can
not be found on this globe" The dam
gers of the tropical climate are, in his
opinion, grossly exaggerated. The
man or woman who takes care Of him
self or herself is as safe in Manila as
in London or New York.
Approaching the subject from another
side, Mr.. Barrett contends that the
United States may not surrender her
control of the Philippines altogether
without being guilty of fragrant disre-
gard of her best interests, in conse-
quence of which she will in all prob
ability fail to command the position. in
the Pacific and China to which she is
now entitled. There is no question in
his mind that the islands will be a
permanent paying investment, not
only in themselves, but in the
consequent increased trade throughout
the entire Pacific, where. if we hold the
islands, we shall be always first and
paramount, but where, if we surrender
them, we may come trailing along for
ever behind Great Britain, Russia, ia
pan and even Germany. But even if
we would make this sacrifice, he thinks
and plainly says we could not and can
not; for, after this awakening to an
appreciation of what the Far East af-
fords, there can be, no. retreat from
greater participation in its trade and
politics, whether the United States shall
hold the Philippines in whole or in part.
The paramount interests of awakened
commerce will insist on a forward
movement and the following of such a
policy as will best subserve American
interests in the vast Heid concerned :
Such a. very forcibl statement us sure
ly to be construed as referring to peace
full commercial conquests. Mr.. Bar
rett does not serve notice ON all per-
sons who think there may be other
controlling motives than those of COM
mercial advantage that they may as
well Orientalize themselves at one
stroke by performing hara-kird!
Mr.. Barrett is native Of Grafton.
VT. and a graduate of Dartmouth Col
lege During his couIseT at Dartmouth
he made an extended trip through the
south, writing articles on what he
termed the New South from the
standpoint of a Yankee, for a syndi-
cate of Northern newspapers, and thus
did much to create favorable opin-
ion of the South in certain sections OF
the New England and Northern States.
After graduation he was led to take up
his residence first in San Francisco and
later in Portland, Or, by his eonvic-
ton that the opportunities for young
men were uncommonly good in that sec
ton From the first he has been a
strong believer in the future of the Pa
cific States, especially in the Develop
ment of their Pacific and Asiatic com.
merce. In 1894 he was appointed by
President Cleveland to the position of
Minister to Siam, being at that time
barely q years Of age, and the young
est Minister in the American foreign
service. In addition to the duty of
preserving his health under climatic
conditions which we must persist in
thinking usually somewhat unfavorabie,
Mr.. Barrett was called upon to exert
himself in the settlement of the Cheek
case, which he finally brought to arbi-
tration. During his stay in Siam he
made repeated visits to China, Japan.
Korea, Siberia, Indo-China, Straits Set
Elements Java, and the Philippines;
and after leaving hfz post in March.
1898, he went directly to Manila by
permission of Admiral Dewey. In NO
yenber and December he visited China
and Japan, but, returning to Manila,
was a spectator of the revolt until the
middle Of MarchA-M. W., in Harper's
| Weekly.
wane of Populism.
| The Populist Professors who are to
| be run out of the faculty of the State
Agricultural College of Kansas are
| 20 TO xx,1io ic