The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-11

uhtATlob VI olNtllhhhtOh piodkoukO
and maintain the interests Of society in gem
eral. including the foreign residents and the
commerce Of the islands"
Tho Spectator (Unionist) in a long review OF
the situation. says: Nothing could be better
than his short. plain statement as to the posi-
ton" Regarding the future. the great Unionist
weekly writes: Tho American Government
must resolve not to be rushed by public opin-
ion into ieversh activity and the people OF
the United States must try not to 6dRst about
the islands The best thing they could
do would be to forget them for a couple
OF years. and to leave the authorities .
free hand. The Fiiplnos. II they are to be
taught to respect and appreciate American
Sovereignty. must be taught their lesson slowly
and quietly and BY sober but innsIible pressure
rather than by brilliant feats OF arms. or
course there must be sufficient number OF
white soldiers employed in the islands and
there must be plenty OF useful ships and gum
boats and river steamers, but 1t would be an
immense mistake to suppose that the insur-
restion can be swamped by pouring in . great
army OF American soldiers. who. after they
have won victories and marched through
Luzon. oan be Withdrawn as quickly as they
came. Before such tactics semi savage people
like tho Filipinos may collapse for the time.
but the moment after the storm 10 past they
revive like reeds beaten down by the wind.
III q journalist In London may speak plainly
without impertinence. It seems to us that,
after resolving not to be In hurry. the next
thing for the Government at Washington to re-
mem ber is that they are not in the Philippines
merely In order to conquer them, but to gov
ern them. The soldiers and sailors must no
doub for some time play very great part. but
there Is also need for q civil government which
shall-be the predominant partner. In our
opinion. civil Governor General OF the Philip
pines should be appointed with complete
powers OF direction and control over all
military and naval officers acting in
the islands. This civil Governo Con-
eral need not. OF course. be a civilian.
He may be soldier or a sailor. but his post
should be q civil post. and he should act In
civil capacity and under com mission from the
President. or. II necessary. under an Act OF
Congress arminE him with absolute powers.
1t should be his business to take stock the
spot as to the best means OF reducing the
islands to order, OF organizing tho military and
naval forces for their respective duties, and Of
creating an effective, II at nrst rough-and-
ready. administration. This organization OF
the military forces would. OF course. DO the
frst requisite,
Just az Lord Cromer and Lord Kitchener.
as soon as the advance into tho Soudan was
determined upon. organized a military force
| appropriate to tho work in hand. SO the Gov
ernor- General OF the Philippines should study
tho military situation and organize tho right
type OF force. 1t 10 no good to trust merely to
beating the enemy by superior bravery whom
ever he In encountered. or course. he will
always be beaten by an American force whom
ever there is fair light but such heroic VIC
tories are often OF little practical good. What
10 wanted 10 force that 10 properly equipped
for penetrating into. and holding. the back
country. 1t would. OF course, be foolish for
us to attempt to say what is the
exact type OF force that ought to be created.
but 1t Is clear that 1t should be very mobile 1t
may also be safely affirmed that 1t should be
composed partly OF white soldiers aud partly Of
native troops offlcered by Americans. 1t
ought not to be difficult to raise four or Ave
regiments OF native troops. who. il we'll
handled. would be most useful In penetrating
into the interior of the islands. And well
handled they would certainly be. for expert
enoe shows las one would naturally expeot)
that American officers win the confidence OF
eolored men and natives Just as do their Eng
lish cousins. The famous black regiments
OF the Civil War were led by white
officers. and their men felt toward them as do
Ghoorkas and Sikhs toward their white load
ers. IA most interesting example OF what We
mean Is contained in Gov. Roosevelt's desorip-
ton OF \ colored regiment in action before
| Santiago in his delightful book on The Rough
| Riders Possibly at first there might be some
difficulty in getting recruits, but, depend upon
| it. good pay and good treatment would soon
| make the service very popular.
when the Governor General had got his
| force properly organized he would NO doubt.
| choose certain provinces or districts and out
| OF these. one by one. he would drive tho insur-
| gents. always following up the act Of conquest
Nv hIahi Cd iDia ntrl,i ok
| win the confidence Of the people and show
them the good effects OF Am erican sovereignty.
After this process Of eating the artichoke
| leaf by leaf had gone on for q little time the
| Fiipinos would no doubt make a big last stand,
| and when that was over there would prob
| ably ba an end OF resistance. Then tho Amer
| leans would realize how In the work OF conquest
it is specially true that not to hurry is to 20
| quickly. The islands once thoroughly con-
quered the period OF development and OF pub
| lie works should be entered upon, and the
| Fiipinos be taught that though 4 civilized
| government has many irksome restraints 1t
pays on the whole to have it established.
! Whom that pointlof understanding had been
| reached the Americans would he able to give
| the Filipinos such an amount OF local auton-
omy as they might think desirable.
I'VE shall. OF course. be told by pessimstic-
| ally inclined Americans that our Philippine
programme is all very fine. but 1t would break
down because 1t 10 not possible to find an
| American with the experience necessary for q
successful Governor General. The kind Of
man required we shall bs told. does not exist
and cannot be created. To which we beg leave
to reply that tho kind Of man required does
| exist. though now in the raw. and that his de-
vslopment will afford no great diff
! fcuty. We do not know whether
Col. Roosevelt can be spared from Albany.
but II the Governor Of the State OF New York
could be given the appointment OF Governor
General OF the Philippines, VIC have not the
slightest doubt that In a couple OF months o
would have caught on to his work. and that
In years time. or less. he would have pre-
pared all the instruments. military and civil.
necessary for a complete settlement OF the
islands. But Col. Roosevelt is by no means the
only man OF his kind in the United States
There are plenty OF q similar kind.
AN we want to insist on is that America can
perfectly well produce tho right stamp OF man.