Washington sentinel., 1900-08-11
It n
Our Growing isl surpris,
ano Empire. number

1t may
Our Growing isl surprise a
ano Empire. number of
persons to
know that while the Administra'
tion policy OF expa nsion. of acquir-
ing more territory and increasing
the number Of brown, black or yell
low "wards Of the nation" II not
the paramount issue in the present
campaign, is certainly one of the
questions to be passed upon by the
American people next November.
The practical work OF expanding is
still going on-is being diligently
pursued under Mr.. McKinley's
auspices. A new treaty, it is au-
thoritatiVely stated has been nego-
tiated with Spain, and, presumably,
will be submitted to the Senate for
ratification when it meets in De-
cember. for the acquisition oil sew
eral additional islands. These ISL
ands, it is stated, were properly
part either of the Philippine or the
Sulu archipelago, but were aot in
cluded within the lines as laid down
defining our former purchase, and
so come to belief. over" as il were,
on the hands OF Spain. They are
small, the largest being repre-
sented as only about IS miles long
by 10 or IL broad, and the add
tional price to be paid for them is
said to be SIOo,ooo. They are
represented to be inhabited, having
a population Of from 5000 to 5000
souls, supported chiefly bV the
pearl fishery. lust why Mr.. Nc
Kinley wants them and why we
should pay $roo, 900 or 100 cents
for them does not appear. Perhaps
the President has been tickled by
the idea of owning a pearl fishery,
and thinks a supply Of pearls NAV
be handy when he comes to ex-
change his silk hat tor an imperial
diadem, Or it may be that he has
a mania Tor buying remnants"
especially at bargain sale. His
fondness for transactions in live
stock, especially in human flesh,
has already been abundantly illus
trated, although, apparently, the
only use he has had so far for the
Filipinos whom he bought at So a
head has been to have them shot.
But it appears that the work of
expansion is not likely to stop here.
A member OF Mr.. McKinley's Cab
inet-his Secretary OF Agriculture,
Mr.. James Wilson. OF Iowa, at the
Tama County Republican Conven-
ton in that State, made speech
in which he is reported to have
dealt largely with the subject OF
expansion. He reviewed the Span
ish war at length, and said Dewey
was driven out OF Hongkong and
compelled to take Manila because
the United States did not own a
hitehing post in the China seas to
which to moor a vessel" Now we
have a thousand or so, counting
by the number Of islands we own.
Still, the same need for "hitcSing
posts" must present itself in other
parts of the world where our ships
may be found and the same neces-
sity Tor "taking them" wherever
they can be had must exist.
Secretary Wilson evidently an
ticipates that necessity and wishes
20 prepare his hearers for further
acquisitions of foreign territory,
particularly islands. AS a MEM
Der Of Mr.. McKinley's Cabinet he
must be presumed to be speaking
by the book when he adds: "We
will soon near from other islands
that are contiguous, but not under
the flag. 1t IS very high privi-
lege to be under the American flag
on any terms. Cuba, independent,
will not have the privileges that
Porto Rico has. It is a small mat
ter for our country to do much for
an island, or thousand islands"
o. course, Mr.. McKinley's Cab
met Minister, in thus divulglng the
plans oi his chief for further acqui-
sitions OF territory--islands pre-
ferred peopled with live stock
anticipates that there may be some
opposition raised by ignorant and