Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-08-25
WESTERNSENTIMENT
In Favor of Retaining the
Hold i'm the EdST.
Secretary Wilson Says That Every
where west of Chicago There is
an Appreciation of the CONNER
CiaI importance of the PHILIPPINES.

Secretary Wilson, who las just re
turned from a trip through the north
west to this Pacific slope Every
man. woman and child in .Jhe west is
determined that We shall keep the
Ptirirp.nes We could net Let them
go if we would The peopIa of the
west understand this question. They
know that Dswey was at Hong Kong
to protect American commerce in .he
far cast, and that he destroyed the
| Spanish fleet as the safe way to pre-
vent it from preying upon American
merchant ships. They also know
that Dewey's victory and subsequent
impetus to tho commerce OF the
United States with the Orient. AT all
the Pacific ports the docks are piled
with goods waiting shipment across
the Pacific, and we hive nC't ships
enough to carry them. We need a
merchant marine now more than any
thing else Today the department of
agriculture is sending butter and
cheese to six different ports in the
Orient in japanese ships, and the gov
ernmerE is sending whole cargoes
across the Pacific in ships carrying
other flags than our own.
'@The people oi6 the west regard the
Pacific as an American lake, which
should be covered with ships carrying
the American flag, and 1 don't know
but they are about right Why, I
went on board Cne big ship loading At
Tacoma, and 1 found in the cargo
lumber, wheat and flour from Wash
ington, br,ster and eggs from Iowa and
Michigan, fruit from California and
other Pacific states, steel from Ala
bama, Gotten goods from the Caro-
rnas, bicycles from Chicago, notions
from New England and something
from more than half the states in the
Union. This cargo was bound for
China and Japan, and it represented
every sec.:on and nearly every branch
of industry in the United States. 1t
showed me more clearly than 1 had
ever seen before the general interest
we all hav3i in this Oriental trade. Had
l gone aboard other ships in othel Pa
oifc ports 1 have no doubt I should
have found the same 0bieot lesson re-
peated.
''It is not surprising that the people
of the west have little patience with
those who are talking of surrendering
the American base we have in the ORR
ent; for in building up cur commerce
with Asia we need more than any
thing else American counting houses
over there. We need the American
bank in the Orient, so that we can
handle our business with the millions
CT people over there
Did you mlaet any of the volunteers
returning from the Philippinss?"
"Yes, 1 went through 'he hospital |
and talked with this men there. 1 |
also saw the regiments march from |
the dock to the camp; and have not /
seen such soldiers since the civil war. !
They were as fine examples of sol |
diers as 1 have ever seen in any coun- |
try They were the fnsst type OF |
American manh0od."
Did you notice any striking differ
and those who were going out to the
mo ether difference than that be-
tween veterans and recruits. The re-
turning soldtsrs were veterans and in
perfect condition They were glad -
get home, but also glad that they had
gone, and 1 should not be surprised to
I,o,,o
appear at the recruiting stations TO
enlist again after they have been
home few weeks. In the hospital
there were 1873 men, but they ware not
all suffering from disease due to their
srvice IN the Philippines. There wers
only two cases of typhoid fever and
several other cases of fever One man
said he had baen sent to the hospital
because he spIained his ankle chasing
a rabbit; anc.her had been hurt while
with a conrad; another
cut his little. finger, and 50 on
'Did they complain Of their treat-
nent in the Philippines?'
Not these 1 heard. Some COM
planned that Gereral Otis had No, al
lowed thsm to do more fighting, and
thought that had they been in com {
nlnd thsy could have handled the sit
nation better and whipped the insur- I
gems sooner, but l never saw private I
soldiers who cid not have that cpin- {
on Of their commanding officer. They (
Ill have a weakness for that kind of I
and that is the only kicking ]
saw. t