Evening star., 1901-12-10

is enabled without injury to the Constitu-
tion and without degrading American citi-
zenship or lnjuriousy unsettling American
commerce, manufactures or labor to acquire
and to hold for the public welfare the Pa
cjfic territory and islands necessary to the
control of the great ocean of the CONNER
cial future. Possession Of Alaska and the
Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, Guam and the
Philippines gives the United States the
mastery of the Pacific. Through occupancy
Of the Asatic archipelago with it's vast
area of rich and productive acres, the
United States has equipped itself for that
exchange of products and goods between
most notable feature of modern commerce
In these days of quickly closing doors of
trade, control of rich slice of the tropics
is valuable commercial asset. Through
the same occupancy the United States has
established a trading emporium backed by
an army and navy, in the center of the
channels of commerce in eastern Asia, and
has thereby acquired an important factor
Of advantage, materially contributing to
success in the fight for the tremendous
and increasing trade Of China and the
Asiatic continent. Occupation of the Phil
ippines and the events leading up to it
have also conspicuously strengthened
American prestige in that part Of the world
and of this change every American in Asia,
whether diplomatic or consular officer
whether merchant, missionary or conces-
sionaire, will reap the benefit. Without this
limbo the United States must in the end
abandon the struggle for commercial and
strategic mastery of the Pacific, and sur
render to competitors the trade with Asia
and the tropics, which is becoming more
and more essential every year to national
welfare and individual prosperity.
Therefore all expansionists, whether west
ern wheat farmers southern cotton-grow-
ers, eastern kerosene producers, manufac-
turers, merchants or missionaries, all ad-
vocates Of the Greater America as world
power, will hail with satisfaction the crea-
tion Of the appurtenant stage of American
territorial existence.
A Last Chance for Anti-ImperiaIism
(2) The Supreme Courts affirmation of
the nations power to rid itself Of appurte-
nant territory which experience has shown,
or shall demonstrate, to be injurious to the
body polite, should be welcomed most
heartily by the anti-imperialists, though
their arguments. If accepted by the court,
would have led to national impotency in
this respect.
There is especial relief in this declaration
Of power for anti-imperialists like Mr.. Bry-
an, who helped to ratify the treaty OF
Paris annexing the Philippines, and then
found themselves compelled by their view
Of the national organic law to contend
that the cession made the Philippines an
integral and inseparable part Of the United
States. According to their theory Of the
situation there had been placed on Uncle
Sans shoulders. partly through their as
sistance, disease-infected Old Man of the
| Sea, to whom Uncle Sam was forbidden or
| impotent to apply exceptional methods OF
regulation and cure, and whom he was alb.
solutely powerless to dislodge.
There was distress in the situation ever
| for anti-imperialists, who had not condoned
| the treaty of Paris. They illustrated ir
| their own persons the paradox that those
| who claimed to perceive most keenly the
| evil Of promiscuous incorporation Of terri
! tory into the republic were also the ones t.
| insist most vehemently that such incorpo
ration had been accomplished and Is indis
| soluble and irremediable. The republic. they
contend, will be corrupted and overthrow
IL we retain the Philippines and the Con
stftution viii not permit us to be rid O
them. They do not demand: who shai
save US from the body of this death?' Blu