The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-12

lumperef Is all at once believed to be worth
100000 marks" or "a. go, 900. Another Ger
man paper points out that by the terms
OF the agreement Spain retains all the ad-
vantages of ownership, while she merely
cedes to Germany the onus of the cost Of
the administration and receives an exorbi-
isn't price which probably no other power
would have paid"
One feature of this change of senti-
ment in Germany Is that the whole transac-
ton and the discussion regarding il are
based on mercenary considerations. 1t is a
matter of bargain and sale. of dollars and
cents, without any relation to national
honor, military prestige or duty. The case
of the United States and the Philippines
is entirely different. Although the Philip
pines are worth vastly more in a strategic
and money point of view than the islands
purchased by Germany, this was not our
reason for acquiring them. We took them
because the chances of war compelled us to
do so and because we could not refrain from
doing so without a sacrifice of national
honor and a Sinking of national duty. This
is a much higher motive than that which
actuates Germany. The acquisition of the
Philippines brings to the United States far
greater CONNIE ycial advantages than the ac-
QUESTION of the Caroline and Ladrone
islands does to Germany, besides a great
deal of naval and military prestige and ma
tional recognition throughout the world.
Germany gets nothing of this. She gets
recognition as a huckstering power but not
as a naval or military power. There is
glory in successful warfare, but there is no
glory in buying islands that a bankrupt
nation is obliged to sell.
A curious feature of the case Is the state
ment in a Berlin dispatch that 1t is a fact
well known to the German and American
press agents that Spain at the beginning
of the war offered to sell to Germany all her
possessions in the far East, including the
Philippine islands The dispatch adds:
then replied substantially that
she could not accept the offer. as Spain no
longer had the islands to give away, but
added that Germany would agree to take all
SPANS possessions in the South sea which
the United States left her off her hands.
This conditional bargain was made during
the early stages of the war and was re-
newed In the autumn at the end of HOSTILE
ties. 1t has now been ratified.
lHlS 10 d COIlplele Justl1CdtIoH IL thc
course of our peace commissioners in taking
over the Philippines, for had they not done
so this valuable group would have been sold
with the rest to Germany. The United
States took it's pick and all it wanted of
SPANS Eastern possessions and Germany
gets the ~leavings. The battle of Manila bay
on May l settled the future ownership of
the Philippines beyond any reasonable
doubt, provided the United States was wise
enough to recognize its opportunity and
firm enough to enforce its rights. No doubt
Germany would have been very glad If the
United States had rejected these valuable
islands and let them fall to her under her
agreement with Spain to take whatever was
left. Thanks to our peace commissioners,
they were wise enough to grasp the situa-
ton, and the result is we have all of SPANS
former possessions in the East that we need
and all that W. should desire. Having taken
the cream we can afford to let Germany
have the skim milk.