Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-10-24
THE PHILIPPINES GOLD BRICk.

THE PHILIPPINES GOLD BRIth.
When Uncle Sam decided after whip
ping the Spaniards at Manila that it
would be good policy to pay Spain $50
doo 600 for what he had already won
in battle and to extend the institutions
and government of the United States
six thousand miles across the Pacific
great many people believed that
Uncle Sam had bought gold brick
with a large white elephant thrown IN.
At that time anyone who dared express
such sentiment, however was
promptly branded as a traitor to his
country by the organs of the admins
tration and of Wall street-which was
prime factor in the enterprise in
which there we're lands and choice gov
eminent concessions galore.
Although it was demonstrated that
these Asiatic islands. with popula-
tion amenable only to military gov
eminent and impossible to assimilate
.in our body polite. were bound TO be
only an expensive burden and source
OF weakness in our foreign relations.
the administration party. backed by
Wall street. howled For annexation and
.-eo9g4lete ownership and control of the
archipelago. although it was demon
strated that a naval station would cover
all our needs and give US all the adj
vantages Of complete possession.
Likewise. it was shown that the
army could not be withdrawn and
would probably have to be increased,
but the Wall street "grafters' and con-
cessionaires howled down the idea and
with the able assistance of the war de-
partment showed that the army was
already being withdrawn. that shortly
only show of military force would
be necessary. and that the rapid es-
Enlistment OF civil government was
4 assured.
RI How true were these assertions and
promises is shown by the statement
the other day of Gen. Chaffee. COM
mander OF the forces in the Philip
pines:
You ask me when. in my opinion the
greater part OF the troo:,a will lie with
drawn. wish / could but an swei You
with degree if deduiteness. Tho same
query was propounded by General Corhin.
when he was here. Ia reply he was told
that the force should not bc reduced he-
low the S9.0o0 le>.i Tor at least rive years.
am Of the opinion that at least chat
number of men Will h required for
much longer time. perhaps for quarter
of a century. When you give comsidera-
lion TO the character OF the territory to
be held as well as to the fact that ut
least half of the population is semi
and has no conception OF Il government
of any description sou will understand
what we are NJ against "
Thirty thousand troops is 5000 more
than the entire United States army
amounted TO before the Spanish war.
Gen. Cbafee has no faith in the pro-
gress or stability of tho present So
called civil government in the islands.
and is reported as saying that Gov.
Taft, although man OF ability is
almost losing courage is disheart-
eped and may resign.
Gen Chafee's description of the sit
uation in our Asiatic possessions is in
line with those of other army officers
who have returned from there. Even
the strict rules of the War Department
have not prevented these expressions.
/ The general belief of all who have Wis
tied the Philippines is that those ISL
ands will never be anything but a
source of expense and trouble, since
IN army must be maintained there in
definitely, while the Filipinos can
ever be Americanized. There is moth
g 10 be gained from trade point OF
". Indeed. the latest statistics of
ippines trade show that export $
the United States have great y
off of late The only things w.
rt there now Ia any quantity are
yps and millions Of money while
chief Philippines imports are the
ID. wounded and sick