The times., 1899-04-26
The English View.

The English View.
The London Daily Mall publishes
vigorous editorial on the Philippine ques-
tion, under the caption, Dare America
Retreat?" AS may be inferred from the
question, the argument is that we cannot
retreat, and would not if we could. The
| English paper states plainly that if We
abandoned the Philippines we should be
held up to the ridicule of all Europe; and
it should be remembered that this would
probably be followed by something worse
than ridicule.
There are some people who seem to find
comfort in getting together in conventions
| and declaring that because they do not
wish a thing TO be so, therefore it is not
so, in spite CT all the testimony that can
be given to disprove their argument 1t
is not quite clear what the festive anti
expansionist thinks should be done in the
! present crisis. The time has passed when
it would be either possible or right to
withdraw from the Philippines. There
might have been some chance for argument
on the question whether we should have
taken them in the first place. but after
| the victory of Dewey that argument was
reduced to a minimum: and up to the time
of the battle of Manila the American peo-
pie had no idea that there would be any
necessity for our taking the Islands at
all. At the present time the withdrawal
| of our troops would be the widest and
most criminal of folly. There is MOTH
| ing for us 10 do but to finish up the war
may be saved and the future pacifcetion
! and government of the conquered terri
tory made more easy. This is not mat
ter for argument. There is but one way.
and that is straight ahead; and if it took
thousands of men and millions of money
to pursue this course We should have to
| do it.
But when one considers the conditions
| under which the British govern India. the
subduing of the Philippines seems small
matter. indeed. If any Of the anti-ex-
pansion newspapers find their way over
| TO London. the astonishment and amuse-
ment of the BritQn must be great. indeed.
In the first place, the rebellion with which
we have TO deal does not affect the whole
group of islands. 1t is all confined to
a comparatively small district around
Manila. Then. even if the entire group
Of islands were engaged in the insurgent
business. the affair would be but small
compared with the Indian mutiny. Third
ly, the Filipino is by no means as savage
a customer as the Kafir and Pathan of the
north CT India. or the Nasal of South
Africa. or the Soudanese and Arab of the
Egyptian desert. with all OF whom the
British soldier has been fighting for many
years.
India is a country two-thirds the size
of the United States, fact which most
people do not realize. 1t contains nearly
four times as many people as the entire
population of this country, and is gov
erned by mere handful Iof Englshmen,
who attend not only TO the fighting but
TO civil administration and commerce and
manufactures. 1t is made up OF many
little states. each of which has its own
traditions and customs, and sometimes its
own semi-independent ruler, whose wishes
must be consulted in certain matters. 1t
has been conquered at one time or an
other, by seven different nations, each of
Nnlcn mas ieit It's trace on tne laws ana
customs OF the country, and taken toll
from the patient common people. The
races and divisions of races which make
up its Kaleidoscope population are as
many as the animals in Noah's ark. Each
of these minute divisions of the native
population has its peculiar characteristics,
which must be known and humored by the
English ruler. or there is trouble. There
are various religions. colored in different
ways with tribal history and dense igno-
rance or with philosophy of a high order
There are more dialects than the average
man would care to count. to say nothing
of learning them all so as TO be able to
talk with the native intelligenuy. The
climate varies in different parts of the
empire, and the nature, habits, and tracta-
bility of the inhabitants vary accordingly.
Having more or less successfully carried
on the business of governing this huge
territory. without ever thinking of such
thing as its REIMBURSEMENT. the English
man will not be likely TO sympathize very
deeply with those Americans who tremble
and grow pale with fear over the prospect
of our assuming responsibility for good
government in the Philippines.