The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1899-07-14
military TO Be IN CONTROL
Plan Of Government for Our New
Possessions.
COMMISSION REPORT ADOPTED.
The Conquered Countries Are Not to BE
Treated as Parts of the United States,
but as Property Owned by the Gov
ernment-Congress Has Power.

Washington, July 11.-Presidert Nc
Kinley will adopt as the policy Of his
administration with reference to the
sular commission, which has just been
filed. Porto Rico, Cuba and the Phll-
lippines are to be treated not as parts
of the United States but merely as
property owned by the government.
According to the views Of the admin
istration this is the only possible
means of exercising temporary control
over the islands until such time as con-
gress shall decide upon their future
disposition. Under the theory adopted
by the insular commission there is no
distinction between Cuba and the other
Islands for the time being, but all are
prizes of war and subject absolutely
TO the disposal of congress.
There are many reasons for this ad-
ministrative policy. In the first place,
it would be impossible TO govern the
Islands by military control in time of
peace If they are to be considered as
integral parts of the United States. 1t
is held by the administration that the
ratification of the treaty of peace by the
senate concerned merely the relations
between the United states and Spain,
and left the islands in the possession Of
this country, the same as the Reina
Mercedes or any of the ships left after
Dewey wrecked the Spanish fleet in
Manila bay.
The position taken by the govern
ment is that there has been, and can
be, no annexation to the United States
except by statutory act OF congress.
The disposition of Porto Rico, Cuba
and the Philippines is yet to be decided
upon by both houses of congress. In
the case of Cuba there is a solemn
pledge to give the island back to its
inhabitants as an independent country,
but it It's admitted that this pledge
might be violated and the islands form
mally annexed to the United States in
case the people of this country were
willing to incur the odum OF having
broken faith with the Cubans.
According to the policy adopted by
the administration, as voiced by the
insular commission, it is still within
the power of congress to SELL give
away or keep all these islands. This
would not be the case if they were
considered parts of the United States,
having vested rights of citizenship and
the protection of the civil law. The
purpose of the president is to govern
all these islands by means of the mill
tary, and whatever laws and regula-
tions are established will originate
with the president as commander-in-
chief of the army, and not as CHIEF
executive of the civil power. In the
absence of legislation by congress
there is no other theory which could
be successfully adopted. The federal
laws do not apply to any of these
islands.
Hawaii, which has been annexed to
the United States by an act of con-
gress, is not yet under the laws OF the
United States, but is controlled by the
temporary government under the di-
rection of the president. 1t is the opin-
ion of the law department that when
the islands are declared to be part and
parcel of the United States 1t will still
be necessary to extend the federal laws
to them specifically.