Evening star., 1900-10-17
ALL FAVOR EXPAN SION
SOLDIERS WHO ARE GOING TO THE,
PHILIPPINES TALK.
What Star Correspondent Discover
ed on Board the Transport
ROsecrans.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

/
| With imperialism so-caled. one of the
issues of the impending political election in
| the United States, it may be interesting to
voters at home to know the views of Uncle
| Sans soldiers, who We're the primary
/ agents in the creation of expansion.
| On many occasions during the writers S
] career as newspaper man it has been his
| opportunity to interview public men on the
| questions of the day. Being a passenger
aboard this transport carrying American
! soldiers, under command of Maj. Green
| ough, 1th Artillery, to the Philippines it
| occurred to him that the views of privates
| of the army-'the men behind the guns
| would be of interest and perhaps cast a
light upon the general feelings of the rank
and file regarding the expansion policy of
| the present adminiSt ration.
Let 1t be understood that among the 656
| men on board all branches of the service
are represented. Scarcely state or terri
tory is without representation. Some of the
men are regulars Of many years standing.
| others are veterans of the Spanish and
Filipino wars while many are new recruits,
| recently enlisted in various cities. / find
! them fair specimens of the intelligent class
| of young Americans, who have common
school some with college-education and
who read the newspapers. L believe them
| in every way on level with the volunteers
! who responded to the Presidents call at
the outbreak of the war with Spain.
All Believe in Expansion.
OF course. did not approach the men in
| the role of the professional interviewer.
Rather was it the plan to start a political
argument and after it being well under
way to back out as gracefully as possible,
leaving the subject to be handled by the
soldiers themselves. = 1t would be a revela-
ton to some Of those who have not too high
regard for the reg lar did they but
listen to political debate on the deck of
the Rosecrans. The impartial listener would
conclude after such a treat thar the aver
age private in the army of the United
States IS not a dulard or bIQckhead. but a
soldier who cares for his country and who
believes that heis honestly serving the best
interests Of the flag when he dons the blue
or khaki and crosses the broad ocean to
do service in the far east
For nearly a month, crossing the great
Pacific, ] have beer in daily, almost hour
ly, contact with these nsi.n, and ! am pre-
pared 10 say that avery large majority of
them, did they but have opportunity to
cast ballot in November, woiiid do so in
favor Of ''impeIialism'' and expansion. Not
one soldier aboard. far as | have been
able 10 learn is In favor of giving up the
Philippines in any manner whatsoever, and
many go SO far to say that Cuba should
be retained.
1t may be remarked here that the SOL
diers have no complaint to make with the
governments treatment. The food Is good
and plentiful, and their quarters aboard are
clean, roomy and well ventilated. Strict
discipline is of course. maintained, and the
RoseCrans Is orderly abode as any
regimental post in the United States There
mas not been a sign OF any intoXicant
aboard the ship since leaving San Francis
co nearly month ago. Gambling of any
sort is not tolerated.
An English Correspondents Views.
Another newspaper correspondent aboard
Mr.. Richmond latham of the London Daily
Mail who has but recently returned from
South Africa, and now on his way to China
has expressed To me his surprise and atimi-
ration at the evidences of loyalty. content
ment and intelligence of the American reg
ular as reflected aboard this ship and his
good Will toward his superlorS
1T appears to me-" says this English
correspondent. that the average Ameri-
can soldier is in the service because he likes
II and because he Is patriotic. In these
particulars he is quite different from the
European soldier. As he comes into the
army from all trades and professions and
IS possessed of average Intelligence, his
views on any question must represent those
Of large bulk of the American people"
Mr. latham. who, by the way. is a broth
er of Mai. latham Of LadySmith fame,
speaking further and more broadly Of the
political aspect in America, said that from
what he saw and heard during his seven
weeks stay in the United States, the for
eign policy Of the President is approved by
the great majority of the American people.
That Mr.. Mckinley would be reelected he
mad doubt.
Here are some of the terse opinions
caught ut random during the political talks
OF the soldiers:
Some Expressions of Soldiers.
Sergt Otto L. Bollhoff, Goth Infantry
I'VE should never surrender the Philip
pines. The better class Of Filpinos want
American rule. The islands are rich in nat
ural products and destined to be of
great commercial, as they now are of mill
tary. value
Sergt Kruger, nth Infantry-"I am a
democrat in "A partisan sense, but would
vote for Mckinley if l were in the United
States"
Private William F. Sweeney. 18th Infan-
try-"1 have never voted. My father Is a
democrat | think the policy of the admin
istration calculated TO advance the prosper
lty or our country.
Private Wells, I'd Cavalry-"Would not
vote the republican ticket anyway but am
In favor of" holding the Philippines Porto
Rico and Cuba and looking around for
more"
Corp Bolton. 9th Infantry-"It would be
eowardly and criminal TO give up the Phil
ippines. The Ffiipinos are not fit for self
government. | am a republican"
Private Roberts 4th Cavalry-"Have spent
seventeen months in Manila and believe
that native government would be unwel-
come to the better classes"
Private Davis, 18th Infantry-"I would
rather soldier in the islands than at home
The army there is in good condition, the
boys feel that the government is doing all
it can for them, and there is very little dis
satisfaction The boys well treated and
medical facilities are all that could be de-
sired. l am a Californian and "a democrat
and favor all the expansion possible
| might quote fifty or hundred others
but of this there would be little use, mas
much as most of them would be similar to
the foregoing.
Again l assert my belief that the regular
army mantle buck private and "the
high private In the front rank''-are in ia
vor of expansion in it's most expansive
form
And these are the men who have made
Uncle Sam grow. They want him to re-
main always just as big as he is now In
proof of which they are willing to go to the
far ends of the earth. W. f. M
East Capitol Street Branch Omce.
For the benefit of residents In the eastern
part Of the city The Star has onened a