Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-20
A FAIR EXCHANGE.
One Way of Letting Go the Troubie-
some Philippines.
New York Mail and Express.

New York Mail and Express.
The solution Of the Philippine problem
proposed by the Mail and Express on the
day after the news came OF Dewey's victory
at Manila still seems to us the easiest as
well as the best BY the ratification of the
Paris treaty the United States will come
into at least temporary possession OF some
1,200 islands on the other side OF the world,
which were practically unknown to the aver
age American a short time ago, and the
acquisition OF which one would hardly have
dreamed Of a year ago. The fortunes OF war
left them upon our hands. We could not
return the Islands to Spain. nor could we.
after having destroyed the only sovereignty
which existed there sail away and leave
the islands to anarchy, or to seizure by
some other power. AS all the commission
ers. even Senator Gray, agreed, the only
alternative to put In the peace treaty was
that Of cession to the United States.
But that cession need not be permanent.
The United States may maintain its pro-
tectorate until the Filpinos are qualified for
self-government and then turn the islands
over to them, or 1t may substitute another
protectorate for our own. To maintain our
position in the Philippines and keep military
possession until the natives are fit to govern
the archipelago will be expensive, embar-
RAISING and full Of hidden dangers. II we
can honorably get out of the Philippines,
with conscience clear as to the future OF the
natives, there are few, We think, who would
not say 'let 1t be done"
1t can be done by substituting for our
protectorate that Of Great Britain, whose in
terests in the far east are such that any kind
OF occupancy of the islands would be of
enormous value to her. The Philippines are
| within England's sphere of influence; they
are far out of ours. She has experience in
ruling dependent colonies and now rules
them with moderation justice and kindness.
We have had no such experience, while all
our traditions limit our sphere Of influence
to the western hemisphere.
On the other hand, England has at our
very door in the Atlantic certain island
possessions hitherto jealously held and
guarded, but bound to the mother country
by gradually relaxing ties. We refer to the
Bahamas, the Bermudas, Jamaica and the
smaller British islands in the Antilles.
These islands, now that we possess Porto
Rico and control the destiny of Cuba. are
more than ever within our sphere OF in
fiuence. To them, IL in our control, the
Monroe doctrine would geographically apply.
1t is an elastic doctrine, as has been demon
strated in recent years. but it is not ductie
enough to be stretched around the
world. We could make the inhabitants OF
the British West Indies prosperous and con-
| tented. England cannot. With the Clay
tom Bulwer treaty in acknowledged binding
force, and an expectation on Englands part
that she would eventually share in the con-
struction OF the Nicaragua canal, there was
certain logic, menacing as 1T was to us,
in the erection Of the frownlng British for
| tresses which face us in the Caribbean sea.
But now that Great Britain has unofficially
assented to the abrogation Of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty, and admitted our right to
build and control the Nicaragua canal, the
former necessity, from Englands point of
view, OF her continued occupancy OF her
Antillean possessions, Is diminished il not
| removed
Here is an inventory of England's island
possessions which lie within the American
sphere Of influence" emitting a few Of
minor Importance: