Washington sentinel., 1900-11-24
Must We KiII Them All.

| ~ IL SAAdAA W ON AAAG FOA-
icy OF our Government to hold the
Philippines as a subject COLONY it
will be necessary for Congress 10
provide at an early day for the en-
listment Of an army large enough
to annihilate the Fllipinos. The
announcement OF Mr.. Hanna that
he iavoTs an army Of 10000 or
more men is virtually a declaration
that there will be no change ofpur.
pose as to the Philippines; and the
report of General Macarthur fully
warrants the belief that there will
be no settlement OF the trouble
until the last Filipino shall lie dead
in the trenches. Beginning in Feb
ruarY next, the Government will
bring back to the United States all
of the present army who may sur
viYe disease and the bullets of the
native sharDshooters, as the terms
Of service of all the troops will
have expired by July 1. General
Macarthur says that the number
Of deaths among our troops has
steadily increased, and that low
ering OF the deathrate cannot be
expected; that "the number Of men
shot from ambush by small guer-
lila bands exceeds those killed at
any previous time" that "as time
progresses and the men become
more and more debili,ated by the
tropical service the more marked
will become the ratio Of deaths" "
and that cat present and for many
years to come the necessity Of a
large American military and naval
force is too apparent to admit OF
discussion"
1t is obvious that all efforts 70
induce the Fllipinos to accept the
conditions proposed by the Ad-
mInistration or to force tn EN- to
submit have failed. General Mac
Arthur affirms that there is com
plete unity OF action among the
entire native population" against
the United States. The only in
ference to be drawn from the re-
port Of the General in command is
that in order to effect the purpose
of our Government the natives oi
the Philippines must all be killed
--annlhilated to man. From the
same report 1t is clear that we must
lose thousands OF our soldiers by
disease and bullets, and that in
"the many years to come" the sup
port of a large army in the distant
islands will cost millions OF dollars.
1t was not the original policy OF
the Mckinley Administration to
make a merely subject colony Of
the Philippines. When the peace
treaty was pending Senators who
spoke tor the Administration dis
tinctly affirmed that the FIlipinos
were fitted for sell government and
were worthy Of it, and that the pur-
pose Of ratification was to open the
waY to the independence OF the
Philippines. Itwas obvious when
the President sent his plain duty"
message to Congress that the i,lea
OF an extra constitutional govern
ment OF our new possessions had
not at that time occurred to him.
1t has been charged that his change
oil view was effected by the infu-
ence Of certain favored interests
which feared competition from the
islands, and that the Sugar Trust
in particular wanted no interler-
ence with its power to put the
screws on consumers at will. In
order to stihe the conscience OF
the American people supporters
of the Administration policy
have deliberately misrepresented
the character and intelligence Of
the Filipinos I'm whose praise they
spoke when the peace treaty was
pending), and inconsistency claim
to fear that the Ignorant, half
savage" natives might become
rivals OF skilled American work
ingmen If they should be admitted
to citizenship. Is it chiefly 10 ben
eft favored business enterprises
that the nation is to maintain
a large army in the Philippines at
the cost OF lie and treasure, and
destroy a people whose only crime
is refusal 10 submit TO a govern
ment in which they have no voice9
There is every reason to believe
that great majority OF the Amer
lean people would vastly prefer to
paciiy the insurgents by admitting
them to all the rights enjoyed by
the residents OF our territories.
Our people can have no heart in
war OF determination which is
based on a repLdiation Of their
dearest traditions.