Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-01
Great Aids to Trade Expected of
Prospective Waterways.
Vigorous War Policy in Philippines
Generally Favored.
DIVISION ON. EXPANSION
Special Correspo1 de4ce of The Evening Star


CHICAGO, July 81, 1899.
Chicago machinery firms expect some day
to ship their machinery by water to the far
east. Being wise men, they do not fix a
definite day. There is the drainage canal
to be merged into a ship canal, and the
Nicaragua canal to be built first. But they
all say these things will be done.
A couple of years ago on one of the great
sugar plantations near Honolulu the man
ager explained to me how the soil had been
made more productive through the pumping
machinery which Chicago firm was put
ting in. He figured out an increase of a
great many thousand tons of sugar through
the introduction of this machinery on sew
eral of the islands. The same firm makes
most of the mining machinery for South
Africa. In Honolulu the complaint heard
was that the overland freight added too
greatly to the expense. When it can be
Heated down the Mississippi and through
the Nicaragua or Panama canal the ex-
pense won't be so great. because water
transportation is admittedly cheaper
In spite of this confidence in the future
II must be said that the west is not swept
Dy not wave of expansion enthusiasm lust
now A friend who insists on CHASING me
with the crazy eXpansionists, and who him
self takes the contrary view told me to
prepare for disappontments. You won't
ma the sentiment you are looking for" he
declared Now, l was not looking for any
particular sentiment but simply to know
what the people We're thinking and saving
Ana as to expansion that is like other sub
Jects- 1t has its stages of progress and its
a rtIs Some folks think that they
SHoulu smut their eyes when their canoe
dfifts into an adverse current and should
thus avoid knowing that there is such a
ouIleht; but a better way is to keep the
canoe headed up stream. The drift may
rS
son 10 throw overheard the paddle esne-
Giaily II the current changes at intervals
Ihat frequently happens on great public
questions. N'
Ihd1herent on Expansion Question.
Internationally, 1 may state that while T
nave not found a hot wave of enthusiasm
neither is there the cold wave which nv
Iriend limited at, He insisted that 1t would
De necessary to. put on muftiers and an over
coat. Eugene Field, the humorist, used to
amuse himself at the expense of the serious
people OF Chicago. Blizzard days in winter
When the icy blasts from Lake Michigan
met the lcier prairie winds and WrestIed
with them, he would take a linen buster
ana fan and station himself in front of
me newspaper office in which he was en-
ployed He always was serious in his
FRANKS. He would declare that the neonIe
simply imagined it was winter, and that a
linen buster and a fan were enough 20
prove the contrary Usually he had a good
many well-meaning persons who went 10
the policemen and urged on them that thew
should arrest the crazy man before he froze
to death. But Eugene Field was prOvided
with warm fiannels beneath the linen dus-
ter He never persuaded anybody that WIN
Ter was summer 1t is about the same re-
Sardlns expansion in the west. If a genu-
Inc reaction has occurred and the blizzard
has struck the country, muffiers and over
coats won't disguise the fact nor will linen
clusters and fans raise the temperature.
All wanted to know was the facts.
chicago, like most great cities has to
have something fresh to keep its interest
up. The interest in the Philippines has I'M
doubtedly lessened. The novelty has worn
off, and there is not much promise of start
ling developments, the city turns to
other things. But as to a change in senti-
ment, l have not found it marked enough
to draw conclusions from. A few weeks
back great public meeting was held at
which ringing resolutions were passed in
dorsing the national administration in the
policy of establishing American authority
In the Philippines Representative Dolliver
of Iowa told the meeting that We're
blown up in Havana harbor and landed in
Manila, and therefore We had certain duties
to discharge. That seemed to be the COM
mon view of the community of which Chi
cago is the heart.
The Real Chicago Sentiment
1 asked one of the men who took part in
that gathering if there had been a change
least" he replied. IF there is the need at
any time We'll hold another meeting and
We will show the country where Chicago
stands.
That last one was meant to encourage a
vigorous military policy in the Philippines.
Since then other matters have come up to
occupy our attention, and | think there was
also disappointment that the military meas
ures were not more vigorous. You will hear
some criticism on that point, and then you
will hear some little fellow jumping up,
shaking his finger at u.s. and saying We
have no right to criticise the administra-
ton. We say what We think out here.
There are three or four cranky professors
out at the Chicago University who are
daft about Imperialism. They can say what
they think, too. Nobody minds them. But
about the sentiment here, you need not
Worry. We Endorsed the administration for
what it was doing, and for what it should
60. After that it wasn't necessary for US
tell where We stood. We are contributing
our share of recruits to the new regiment
and as there is only one regiment to be
formed in this neighborhood we can't do
more than fill its ranks All we want is
military action. When the thing is settled
in the Philippines yau can look for differ
ences of opinion, but not until then. Some
of us do not believe in holding the islands
but we are not talking of that now. We
are agreed in supporting the war policy
ana most OF US free our minds and say we
want vigorous war policy.
The above is g. Chicago view. An idea of
the feeling which obtains in the country
was given me by Mr.. H. K. Wheeler, who
represented the Kankakee district In Con-
sress before it was merged into Uncle Joe
Cannon'S district. THE people of Illinois -
Mr.. Wheeler said, ARE with the President
in everything he does in the Philippines
You go out into the country district and you
Will see that everywhere. They want to
support the administration, and they want
to have their support known. They will
stand by in sending all the soldiers that are
necessary to make those Filipinos respect
the United States. If that becomes the is
sue think President Mckinley will have
a bigSe" majority than he received in 1896.
on the other question of expansion if that
We're the only thing, the feeling might be
different. Our people in the country are
not enthusiastic about keeping the islands
Most OF them wish that it had not happen
ed that the United States had to go there.
But they realize that this was one of the
chances of war. and nobody who undertakes
TO go back on the war will get encourage
ment in this state. All that the people ask
now Is that We settle the trouble in the
Philippines just as quickly as our army
and navy can do so. They feel that il must
be done by the army and navy
Parties Divided on Expansion.
There is political side AS matter of
7 oh