The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-07

her location the colonial policy was in
| evitable to England, and after she has
| with more or less success, secured the
| earth for two or three centuries in pursui
of her colonial policy, very few things
that are desirable in the way of colonies
| are left.
| England has shown judgment in the col
onies which she has refueed to keep, as
| well as in those which she has taken. She
once captured the Philippine Islands in
war, and yet such was her idea OF theii
| value that she gave them up to Spain
| upon the payment of a small indemnity
| The fact that they alone were substantial
| ly the only colonies which remained in the
hands Of Spain after three or four CEN
| turtles of decay. except such colonies as
| she held in this hemisphere and which
| were practically saved to her by the Mon
roe Doctrine, is some evidence Of the esti-
mate put upon their value by the great
| Powers.
1t is doubtful question whether the
trade of India compensates Great Britain
for the enormous obligations that she is
under. But no comparison can be made
between India and the Philippines. The
| former had a great development Of civ
| ilization more than 1000 years ago. Much
wealth had been accumulated, and the
consumption Of her 100000 900 people is
| infinitely greater than we could ever ex-
pect the consumption Of the Philippine
people to be.
| which has been developing for hundreds
OF years. The cost to us Of acquiring her
| efficiency and experience would be enor-
| nous: and as to the effect of colonies
| upon the trade Of a nation. tell me, II you
can. how it happens that while Great
Britain Is the greatest colonial power In
the world the two countries that have
been going by her with rapid strides in
the matter OF commerce are the United
States, which until yesterday had no COL
onies and Germany whose scattered pos
sessions are an admitted drain.
With reference however, to the expan-
sion of England. the expansion which has
added to her strength and to her wealth
has been mainly that which has occurred
in vast and empty territories within the
Temperate Zone. Those territories were
fitted in character and climate to be-
come the homes of Euglishmen; and they
have gone to them. bearing with them
the institutions. laws. and habits of their
native land and have thus added strength
to the mother country. India, for the
reasons I have referred to- has probably
been source Of profit to England; but
when you take into account the serious
problems which she has presented in
Engiand's foreign policy, and the wars to
which her possession has given rise, she
has come far short of being Of unmixed
advantage to England.
The Philippine Islands are lacking in
the primary requisite Of a colony, and
that is the fitness to become tie home OF
the people of the eoloniZing power. In
the first place, those islands are not
empty and unoccupied. but they are as
densely populated as New England. The
present population will have to be cleared
off with the forests in order to make
room for any great number of our own
people. But. in the next place. the eli
matte conditions are such that they are
not fitted to become the home of the
Caucasian The fact that after several
centuries less than 10000 whites are found
living there. not counting the soldiers, is
pretty strong proof that they are not
fitted for the white man. The north
ernmost point of the islands is south Of
Calcutta. and from that point they extend
for about 1,500 miles toward the equator.
1t is urged that the possession of the
Philippines will open new fields for the
investment OF capital such fields being
nearly exhausted at home. Possibly the
limit is nearly reached for the exploita-
tion of franchises in this country. but
when vast tracts of land shall have been
reclaimed when the wooden stage Of de-
velopment shall have given place to stone
AMI iron habitations built for 500, 600 900
instead of 100000 people, it will be
time enough then to consider the exhaus-
ton of our home field for investment.
The barest survey of the question con
vinces ME that the cost to this nation in
money of Philippine colonies Will be
greater than any pecuniary benefits it
will receive: that while few fortunes
may be made by exploitation. vastly
greater burden will be imposed upon the
nation as a whole than the benefits which
any individuals may secure; that the
islands are not likely ever to become a
corporate part of this country; that they
are not fitted to be the home of Ameri-
cans; that they will greatly weaken the
country in time of war and expose it to
retention will involve the destruction of
tens of thousands of American lives, and
that it will involve the departure from
the traditional policy which has made
this nat ton great.
The assertion Of a policy OF Asiatic
domination will bring the Monroe Doc
trine tumblins about our ears, for we
shall make ourselves the laughing stock
of mankind If we say to the oyercrowded
nations of the other hemisphere, Keep
your hands off the empty and unoccupied
portions of this continent and then at
the same time, having n sparse popula-
ton, embrace thousand islands in the
other hemisphere. Such course would
denriye the Monroe DOct rine of the last
appearance of justice. and thenceforward
1t would have to stand upon force alone.
In my opinion, in no proper sense OF the
word can this policy be called expansion.
1t Is no more expansion or growth than
is the cancer or the horrible tumor which
swells the bulk of the human body but
saps 1t of Its vitality and strength
Then comes the accumulation OF hor-
rible race problems, of which we already
have our full share In this country. Let
me call TO your attention the testimony of