The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-09
GREATER AMERICA AND LITTLE
AMERICANS.


No other American has taken broader and
sounder views regarding the Philippines
question. since it became a question, than
Hon. John Barrett, United States minister
to Siam during the last Cleveland admins
tration. Many others have taken practical
ly the same views, but nobody has enforced
them with much personal knowledge of
the situation and the great interests in
volved as Mr.. Barrett. From the day of
the battle of Manila bay, when in a few
hours Commodore Dewey changed the as
pect of the Eastern question and the bal
ance of commercial power in the Pacific,
Mr.. Barrett has not wavered in declaring
that the United States should by all means
hold on to the Philippines. Some of his adj
dresses since returning to the United States
havo been remarkable for clearness and
force of statement and for their broad
American spirit. The Journal has COM
nented on some of them. and takes pleas
ure in doing so again. The following, from
an address by Mr.. Barrett before the Union
League in Chicago. deserves careful read
ing because 1t is by a man who has spent
several years in As;atic countries and
knows whereof he speaks He said
If were asked what was the great sig
nal result of the late war with Spain
would say Ii was one which had amply re-
paid al. the difficulties brought upon us by
the assumption of sovereignty of the Philip
pines. 1t is simply this il has suddenly
and unexpectedly made us the first power
of the Pacific Before the war and before
We took the Philippines, not from conquest,
out from moral responsibility, we could not
contest that position with either Great
Britain or even Japan. We were then not
a power in the far East. We were nothing
more than what could be rightly termed a
little power. From Bangkok to Picking
our ministers and our consuls were every
where hampered by our lack of national in
f1uence, by the little actual respect felt for
US by Oriental statesmen and by the con-
slant evidence that what America said.
could or would do cut little or no figure In
Asiatic politics or commerce. Formerly as
1 travelled up and down the coast, visiting
both political and commercial capitals, j
was always depressed by the indica tons of
our seeming insignificance When / made
my last journey in December to these same
points was astonished to note the mighty
change that had been worked since Dewey
sailed into Manila and destroyed the Span
ish fleet. ] found America. American in
first confederation Whether discussing
matters with native statesmen or foreign
diplomatists. or leading business men, or
devoted missionaries. at dinner parties or
In the club. or In the street with common
everyday natives and coolies, l found the
one sensible tangible thought g1n that "a had l, to
going to do, what will be her policy, which
way will her influence be thrown?
There two points of special interest
In this-first, the remarkable growth of
American influence and prestige in the
East as the result of the war. and. second,
the particular event that has caused 1t.
AS to the first. all the indications go to
sustain Mr.. Barrett's statement that the
"a little power in the East to great
power. As to the second, IL is evident he
attributes this solely TO our capture and
occupation of the Philippines. In this he
is doubtless right. All else that we did in
the war with Spain would have had no
effect on our status as a naval power in
the Pacific or as commercial power in the
East. Our victories in Cuba had no effect
whatever in that direction. The battles of
Las Quasima and FL Caney. the sinking of
Admiral Cervera's fleet. the capture of San
tiago. the expulsion of the Spaniards from
Cuba. the forced cession of Porto Rico-all
these would have had no effect in the Pa
cifc and would scarcely have been heard
of in Asia. 1t was the sinking of the Span
ish feet in Manila harbor and the capture
OF the Philippines that worked the change
described by Mr.. Barrett. To say that we
did not begin the war to capture the Philip
pines or to establish the commercial SUI
premacy of the United States in the East
is not to the point. The thing is done, and
the question is. shall it be undone? Mr.
Barrett thinks not. He says:
The United States have assumed mighty
and unavoidable responsibility, not only to
themselves and the natives, but to the
world. in occupying the Philippine islands.
They could not return them 10 their former
sovereignty, sell them to another power or
yield them to native rule without Sinking
such responsibility and taking a backward
step from which the Nation would never re-
cover.
This must be the view of all patriotic
Americans. II there are any who would
have the United States go back again from
its present position 70 that of "a little pow
err in the Pacific and the East by abandon
ing the Philippines they deserve to be