Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-03
OUR NEW COLONIES
Discussed by Poultney Bigelow at
Geographical Congress.
FEARS We WILL MAKE MISTAKES
Points to Experience With the In
dian in Illustration.
CONTRAST WITH ENGLAND

BERLIN, October 3.-At today's session
of the International Geogra phical Congress
| and in the presence of a distinguished
dience including many colonial and other
| government officials, Poultney Bigelow dis
| cussed Colonial Administration in Differ
ent Parts OF the World" The paper was
| received with marked favor.
| Mr.. Bigelow said that this year, menora-
| BILE for the international peace conference
at The Hague, whose noble purpose it had
been to make war less frequent and less
| brutal, would be none the less gratefully
remembered for the supplementary work
| of peace intrusted to the great geographic
| cal congress of Berlin. 1t had taken CEN
| turtles of business and bloodshed to reach
| the state of comparative civilization now
enjoyed by the world. We were just be-
ginning to realize that what interested
| one interested all, and that in colonial
matters the more important condition to-
day was unity among the whites, whether
English. Russian. French or German
I'm the far east" continued Mr.. Bgelow
1.-The United States has now become the
rival of Europe through the occupation of
Manila. Americans thus become next door
neighbors to Hong Kong and are almost
equally interested in the projected railway
termina ting at kiao Chou. In common with
Germany, however, the United States has
experience yet to purchase, and, from OBJ
servations made during the war, l fear my
country is learning her lesson at an ex-
travagant price.
Fears We Will Blunder.
1.-The United States has officially COM
| menced the government of tropical en-
pire under conditions which make it prob
| able that the Americans will repeat the
| plumbers which the Englishmen corrected
| century ago. Much as the Filipinos dis
| liked Spanish rule, they dislike Yankee
rule even more. Nor is this to be wonder
ed at. Methods successful against Amerl-
| can Indians and against negroes are not
found successful in the Philippines, nor
90 they attract a hgh-spirited race, such
as inhabits the Philippines.
1.-The curse of America today is that her
politicians and newspapers stand in fear or
! the mob. Any one who dares to crltlclse
the wisdom of mob-inspired machinery Is
| howled at unpatriotic, if not as traitor
| The fever has gone to the brain of the
| American mob, especially that section OF
| the mob which did not go to the war. Con-
| sequently, the colonial operations or the
| United States are marked by great haste In
| prepare ton, by frequent changes of plan,
| reckless expenditure of life and money and
| by a lamentabe failure to fulfill the rea-
| sonable anticipations of the merchant class,
| who are, after ALL the best judges of colo
| NAL administration.
| 1.-The American has been a magnificent
| colonist in so far as his task has consisted
| in hunting out the red Indian and admins
| tering territory for the white man only, but
| he has not yet succeeded in more than eX-
| terminating an inferior race.
| Americana Claims RidicuIed.
| 1.-The enormous liberty he claims for him
! self becomes ridiculous when shared with
the red man, the negro or the Chinaman.
| England has purchased great experience in
| India and, even with all the cost of the Sc
| poy mutiny, we can hardly think the price
| TOO high for the vast benefits which have
| flowed from this terrible lesson. America
| has this same lesson to learn, and let US
| pray that she may learn 1t from the mother
| country rather than rush blndly into situa-
| tons IRON which only a costly war can eX-
| tricate her.
English public opinion is today educated
| mar" public opinion is educated to an al
| most Incredible degree in military matters.
| But the average American voter, as repre-
| sented by the undisciplined press and ire
| sponsible congressman, offers no solution in
The present colonial embarrassment save
| to send more troops and to shoot more ma
| tiveS.
| -, he lesson we Americans are now learn
ing is a lesson for the whole world. Colo
| MES succeed in proportion as they are just
| " administered. there is no man so low in
| the human scale that he can be treated I'M
Justly with impunity. The best talent pro-
duced by the white man s civilization is
none too good when it comes to governing
communities of subtle orielrals with vary
ing creeds and complex conditions. We
| uSet. to think tnat any teacher was good
| enough for the elementary school. but now
| we realize that the best is none too good for
| the beginner 1t is, indeed, at the begin
| ming that the best work must be done, and
| colnnies are much like children"