The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-10
Can Govern
themselves

San Francisco, March S.-General Jo-
seph Wheeler favors giving the Philip
pines territorial form of government.
/ Said he:
I believe the people are ready for a
certain kind of self-government. They
| could be given the power to make laws
under such a system of government dc
has been adopted for our territories.
The municipal governments are all IN
the hands of the natives, and they get
alonS without trouble or friction. Under
territorial form the islands could be
| best controlled "
He reviews his impressions of trade
possibilities in the Orient as follows:
| England, Russia, Germany and
France have braved war and pestlence
| in efforts to secure a share of the
wealth which will come to them by
commercial relations with these peo-
pies. The treaty of peace cast upon us
the responsibility of sovereignty over
from 100000 to II 900 900 people, TO
gether with the islands which they
inhabit, containing an area three times
that of our great and prosperous empire
state.
Very naturally there may be honest
difference of opinions as to whether
NCA > IlLA4Ass Has bGEAI GOlihtANCCA -
the two years in accordance with the
highest wisdom and best possible JudS-
ment, but there should be no question
among the American people as to the
duty and wisdom of now uniting IN a
determined effort TO take the situation
as it stands and to so conduct the az
fairs of our country as to ada the most
to it's glorious honor. welfare and pros
perity. 1t is a friendly struggle Tor
11saYsci a
rival nations are using their best et-
forts, and l say. let US, in friendly
but determined spirit, Use our best Ell
forts also.
Our Pacific cities are now face to
face with the western shores of ASA.
The Nicaraguan canal will bring our
gulf ports nearer to them than those or
the Atlantic and Europe. With Mania
as a great depot, steamers from that
emporium could reach the commercial
ports of eastern Asia as readily as IL
can be done by English steamers from
HOngkong.
we must consider that about one
third the population of the earth is con-
centrated in the eastern half of Asia
and that these vast multitudes are rap
idly learning to appreciate the adVant-
ages, and, | might add, the necessity
of high civilization. and they are also
enjoyed by the people of the most CIV
ilized nations in the possession and use
of the products, manufactures and me-
chanical developments which are there
found.
Europe and America must purchase
the silks, teas, coffee. hemp, spices and
products of the handiwork of the peo-
pie of the Orient, and this immense
population needs articles which Ameri-
60 nj
cheaper and better than those which
are produced anywhere else on earth
Cotton cloth, such as is manufactured
in southern cotton mills, is needed Dy
the peopIe of the east to the enormous
value of $4,OOOOOO,OOO to 100000 OOO.
England with her navy has ap-
preached China by the sea and has
established firm footholdS at favorable
locations on the coast. France has
ACQUIRED possessions in Asia which
contain a population four times as
great. and an area nearly ten times
as large as that of our empire state.
England's dominions and dependencies
in Asia now extend over an area OF
I 600 900 square miles and contain
of nearly 300,000,0OO. Russia
has in Asia territory exceeding
in area 100000 square miles, and con-
tanning over 100000 people.
Port Arthur, the great commercial
and war port, is firmly in her grasp.
This gives Russia power over Korea
which will add much to her strength.
The completion of the trans-Siberian
railway and its branches, the opening
of the NicaragUan canal and the an
nexation of the Pacific islands to the
United States will more thoroughly
the commercial relations
of the world than has ever been done
by all other influences combined during
the last three centuries.
1T seems to me that there is but
little limit to the possibilities which
are before US, and we are certainly
justified in the belief and hope that the
United States is on the edge of an area
of unprecedented prosperity