Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-25
OPINION IN ENGLAND
What Our Cousins Think of the Phil
ippine Situation.
WOULD FAVOR A DECIDED STAND
Australian Federation is Now an
Accomplished Fact
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LONDON, February s, 1899.
The English people are greatly disap-
pointed at the apparent want of decision
on the part of the United States in dealing
with the situation in the Philippines. There
is no Interior motive in this. 1t Is mercy
the natural regret of a friendly people at
what is regarded here as supineness in a
situation where our English friends would
have long since bombarded towns, repulsed
the enemy and driven the insurgents back
into the wiIds By this time an expedition
would have been formed to take the Of
fensive were the islands a British con-
quest and we would hear of successful
marches into the interior and victories over
the natives. This is what would have hap
pened were Britain in the United States
position with regard TO the Philippines, and
consequently she cannot understand why
some such action has not been accomplish
ell by her American cousins Few people
here appreciate the real difficulties in the
way of America the fact that without
Mondays ratification by the Senate the
treaty drawn up at Paris was of no avail.
Used to governments that act and after
ward refer their actions to parliament, it Is
difficult for them to comprehend the eau
tiouS steps President Mckinley and his adj
visers have been obliged to take. The
present trouble resulting through the Fill
have come. say the British, if f1rmer
policy had been adopted. Half-savage
tives must be treated to the mailed fist.
and none knows better than England how
to do this with the best results and least
loss to her own people. 1t is be ieved here
now that after a short skirmish or two
the FiltpinOs will learn that it is not force
or the Spanish sort that they are opposing,
but the determined courage of an Anglo
Saxon race. and will become more recon-
clled to their destiny There are various
rumOrS that find credence here, that Amer
lea will ultimately give the islands their
independence, and will, soon as a more
tractable spirit is shown make some agree
ment with the natives on the lines of the
Cuban settlement
This is not the general belief or hope 1t
Is believed here that the United States
means to hold the Philippines, and that a
stable government will be founded there
under American control 1t would seem
too, that as the United States has chased
out what civilization there was in the land
that II is due the world to establish law
and order. That this will be done no Amer
lean abroad doubts. but at present they are
Obliged to hear varied and foreible crtti-
cisms on the slOwneSs with which their
country approaches this problem.
Must Follow Our Destiny.
The novelist. David Christie Murray.
writes follows which generally ex
presses English opinion in the matter: Mr.
Rudyard kipllng, in verse less inspiring and
rhNtamie than he is accustomed to offer to
the world. has invited the United States to
take up the white mans burden Ii is the
Angto-Saxon, English-speaking white man
aIpHe VINO IS appealed to, and it is the
Angio-SaXOn, Engljsh-speaking white who
alone, of all the peoples is qualified TO as
sumo the task To which America is called.
II Is not a piece OF work which can be un-
derldken with light heart Ii is not forced
upon the United States as * has been
forced upon England. by the unacceptable
processes of expansion. We pinned douD
III these narrow Islands of bay
compelled to send our children into wider
spaces. America, with all her teeming mil
lions mas some fourteen or fifteen times
more space for each unit of her population
10 move in than can find She is NOT
thrust outward from within, but she is in
eAoraDiy beckoned from without and she
must follow her destiny. There are certain
blinded and foolish haters of England. who
are Just as much out of date as was ever
lne spanish rule in Cuba and the Philip
pines. whose published creed II is that the
people In this country are in favor of tho
American annexation of the conquered is
iahus' because they desire to see the repub-
lie enteebled b. the burden of OUTLYING re-
sponslbtitties. With such men ii Womb he
useless to argue, but America in the LARGO
Knows wei that no ignOble motive is mixed
with our desire that she should take bar
place IN the great world We call her from
her lofty isolation because We know that
sne VIII make for liberty and justice. With
al the lessons OF the past to guide her she
may fare forth in safety England ~
cndrted the channel in which her eldest
daughter Is about to steer, and England's
faults and follies should be as useful to tn
coming navy as even her successes and her
virtues" anu iiei
Australian Federation.
"A very great act took place few davs
ago In Australia, which has not as vet
attracted the notice it deserves in this
country. The colonies came to an agree
ment regarding their federation, which has
o-eH Oh the tapls Tor over ten years. Some
OF the London papers headed the sbort
.SpoIt reuter- brought from Melbourne
Inc United States of Australia {" b,It tbf
was more in the way of a catchy Iea5iirr
imam a realization that this is exactly wbat
NE ohe liberation portends. This agreement
clears the way for the most impoTtant ~
Hucdl event In the history of the AuS.ro
nan colonies since 1854. when they were in
vested with self-governing powers The
QUESTION OF federation has attracted at+an
Lion more or less ever since 1852 but the
recent history of the movement baps, ~
1886 when federal council sanctiopad -
S,d itilperial permanent. met at Hobart In
OctoDer. 1889, the late Sir Henry parLaI
the then premier of New South Wales tooL
the initiative in calling together "a nattopai
convention Tor the purpose of devisine and
reporting upon an adequate scheme az fed
eraI government" The matter wac talSer,
up by all the Australian governments with
Lhe result that on February G. 1870 a COW
i'7ttd met at Melbourne and carried reso-
4 ,s IN iayor OF such a scheme The
Anstralasian federal convention. which MT
az sydney March 2. 1891. marked a ernat
advance Its object was to frame a con-
su'IIlon Tor the dominion of Australia
Slr henry Parkes was unanimously select
ca as president, and the chief goyernm anta1
representatives of New South Wales. Vie
IOrla. Queensland. South Australia. Tas
mama New Zealand and Western Austr9IIa
Mefe present, This convention. on April q
P"SseT OIL which proposed to establish
FEDERAL constitution for the common
msAith OF Australia By the bill it was
PIONlued mat governor general should
be appointed by the sovereign ana 49,
each colony Cor stata) should cnntrit,,,ts
10 the commonwealth parliament renra-
sehtatlVes from its Individual Legislative
MS parliament should consist of n iirect
y elected house of representatives and a
senate composed of delegates from all the
COLONIES \ salary of 600 should be pai5
10 the members Of both houses seven
ministers, 10 be known as the oueen's
MINISTER'S or state for the commonwealth
OF austria IA. should assist the governor
general Ihere should be a supreme court.
as IN the l nited States, whose functions
WeIld render unnecessary the prfyy conn
Gu; Free trade between the various col
onies was also agreed 10. Various disa-
ertements and jealousies between the cri