Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-08
AMERICA IN The FAR EAST
Former Minister to Siam Urges that
Golden Opportunities In orient
he Accepted.

CHICAGO, June 7.--Hon. John Barrett,
minister to Siam during the Cleveland ad-
mnistration and who has travelled extern
sively in the east was given Compli-
mentary dinner at the Union League club
tonight and, by request, spoke about the
Philippines and their Importance, CONNER
cially and strategically to the United States.
| Mr.. Barrett said, in part
l cannot overestimate the Importance
! of the subject before us. We are face to face
! in the Pacific and tar east with a situa-
tion of possibilities. Upon our policy de-
! pends our position in that great ocean,
where by the hand OF God, by destiny and by
| fortune, 1t is intended that we should be
| first. but where il we fail to seize and de-
| velop our opportunities we may not only
become forever second, but come trailing
aIOnS Denind Great Britain, Russia, Japan
| and Germany and even France. 1t is an
issue of the hour, 1t is now or never. If
we weaken one iota we give an entrance
| for the wedge that will destroy the unity
of policy and integrity Of principle which
alone can bring us success.
/ have no sympathy with the conception
| that we are not equal to what is before us
| On the other hand, | maintain that there is
nothing so American as meeting and mas
tering new responsibilities. At the same
! time 1 recognize the value and advantage of
argument and discussion. If may be called
| an expansionist, l am not so radical that
! do not respect the arguments of those who
hold other Views. and / have the highest
/ respect for many of the distinguished and
good men in our country who hold that our
policy is wrong. They are doubtless sin
cere and mean only well for our country, but
might | not add that if they are, in the
| opinion of some, doing any harm, 1t is not
that they are creating discordant influence
at home, but that they are, and possibly
| without their intention, giving comfort and
aid to our enemies. In the Philippines and
| in Hong Kong, and, moreover in Europe,
| wherever any anti-American sympathizers
are gathered every word and every utterance
| OF those who oppose our policy in the Philip
pines Is repeated, emphasized and sent
! broadcast to encourage not only those who
| are lighting us, but those who would secretly
assist them. l say this with all frankness
because l could not help seeing and noting
| 1t only too plainly in my recent trip home
| from Manila by way of Europe.
Holding and developing the Philippines is
| not mere Imperialism, not mere expansion
! in the popular use of those misleading terms,
| but taking legitimate advantage of a splen
| did material opportunity where unavoidable
moral responsibility has compelled us to as
| sumo the sovereignty of these rich Antilles
| OF the orient. If we call 1t expansion or i'm
| perialism then these terms are synonyms
| for legitimate commercial extension, and
| commerce is the life blood of nations pro-
vided it has the moral strength of sinew and
| bone to absorb the nourshment and ozone of
new blood. and not be poisoned by those ele-
| ments which invariably accompany extra
| ordinary efforts in untried fields. / believe
| that we have the power of discrimination,
| the capability of taking what is best and
| leaving what is worst. in so guiding our
| policy that in this great race of nations for
| supremacy in the worlds competition we
| shall be forever strong first.
| After careful study of the different
| tribes of the Philippine islands and an inti-
mate acquaintance through several years
with races OF Asiatics similar to them in
| tendencies. habits. methods of life and ways
| of thinking, it is my honest conviction that
| their good qualities outweigh the bad, that
| there is much of hope and promise in their
makeup and that, in comparison with other
Asiatic people, they are above the average.
| While not industrious or thrifty as the
| Japanese, they compare favorably in intel
| ligence and sobriety with the best of other
Asiatics. / believe firmly that the masses
| of the people are not turned against us
with those feelings of hatred and revenge
which we cannot overcome. When they fully
| understand that our intentions are honor
| able. that the recent conflict has not been
| justified from their standpoint and that pos
sibly they have been misled by ambitious
| leaders. am confident they will readily ac-
cept any form of government we may in
stitute. No greater misfortune could befall
us than to have the Philippines a dumping
| ground for mercenary politicians Here is
! our greatest danger, and il we can safely in
| trust natlVe FlllplnoS Win goodly portion
| of the lesser offices for the administration OF
| the interior. we will save ourselves from the
greater Of two evils.
| The United States has assumed a mighty
and unavoidable responsibility, not only to
itself and the natives, but to the world
in occupying the Philippine islands 1t
| could not return them to their former SOW
| ereignty, sell them to another power or yield
them to native rule without shirking such
| responsibility and taking a backward step
| from which the nation would never recover.