The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-03

une Islands to China, there being at
present, as is well known, a British line
from Manila to Hong Kong.
The representatives of the cable COM
pany kept these conditions long under
consideration, continuing, in the mean
time, to prepare for laying the cable.
They have, however, at length accedeo
to them, and an all-American line be-
tween our Pacific coast and the Chinese
Empire, by way of Honolulu and the
Philippine Islands, is thus provided for
and is expected within a few months to
be ready for business.
Among the conditions is one reserving
the power Of the Congress to modify or
repeal any or all of them. A copy of
the conditions is herewith transmitted.
PORTO RICO.
Of Porto Rico it is only necessary to
say that the prosperity of the island and
the wisdom with which it has been gov
erned have been such as to make it serve
as an example of all that is best ill insu-
lar administration.
THE PHILIPPINE POLICY.
On July last on the one hundred and
twenty-sfxth anniversary of the Decla-
ration of our Independence, peace and
amnesty were promulgated in the Philip
pine Islands. Some trouble has since
from time to time threatened with the
Mohammedan Moros, but with the late
insurrectionary Filipinos the war has en-
tirely ceased. Civil governpent has now
been introduced. Not only does each
Filipino enjoy such rights to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness as he has
never before known during the recorded
history of the islands, but the people
taken as whole now enjoy measure
of self government greater than that
granted to any other Orientals by any
foreign power and greater thar that en-
joyed by any other Orientals under their
own governments, save the Japanese
alone We have not gone too far in
granting these rights of liberty and self
government: but we have certainly Gcne
to the limit that in the int arests of the
Philippine people themselves it was
wise or just to go. To hurry matters,
to go faster than we are now going
would entail calamity on the people of
the islands. No policy ever entered into
by the American people has indicated
itself in more signal manner than the
policy of holding the Philippines The
triumph of our arms, above all the tri
umph of our laws and principles, has
come sooner than we had any right to
expect. Too much praise cannot be given
to the army for what it has done n the
Philippines both in warfare and from an
administrative standpoint in preparing
~, rjX nd ,iroi-
lar credit belongs to the civil authorities
for the way in which they have planted
the seeds Of self government in the
ground thus made ready for them. The
courage, the unflinching endurance, the
high soldicrly efficiency, and the gen.
eral kind -heartedness and humanity of
our troops have been strikingly mani
tested. There now remain only some
fifteen thousand troops in the islands.
All told, over one hundred thousand have
been sent there. OF course, there have
been Individual instances of wrongdoinS
among them. They warred under fearful
difficulties Of climate and surroundings;
and under the strain of the terrible
provocations which they continually re-
ceived from their foes, occasional in
stances of cruel retaliation occurred.
Every effort has been made to prevent
such .cruelties, and finally these efforts
have been completely successful. Every
effort has also been made to detect and
punish the wrongdoers. After making
all allowance for these misdeeds, it re-
mains true that few indeed have been
the instances in which war has been
waged by civilized power against semi
civilized or barbarous forces where there
has been so little wIongdoing by the
victors as in the Philippine Islands. ON
the other hand, the amount OF difficult,
important, and benefcent work which
has been done is well-nigh incalculablc.
Taking the work of the army and the
civil authorities together, it may he
questioned whether anywhere else in
modern times the world has seen better
example of real constructive statesman
ship than our people have given III the
Philippine Islands. High praise should
also be given those F'ilipinos, ir the ag
gregate very numerous, who have ae-
cepted the new conditions and joined
with our representatives to work with
hearty good will for the welfare of the
islands.
A MORE EFFICIENT ARMY.
The army has been reduced to the
minimum allowed by law 1t is Very
small fer the size of the nation, and
most certainly should be kept at the
highest point of efficiency. The senior
officers are given scarf chance under
ordinary conditions to exercise COM
mands commensurate with their rank,
under circumstances which would fit
them TO do their duty in time of actual
war. A system of DianOeuycring our
army in bodies of some little size has
been begun and should be steadily con-
tinued. Without such manoeuyers it is
folly to expect that in the event OF hos
Utilities with any serious foe even small
army corps could be handled to advan
taee. Both our officers and enlisted men
are such that we can take hearty pride in
them. No better material can be found.
But they must be thoroughly trained,
both as individuals and in the mass
The craftsmanship of the men must re-
ceiye special attention. In the circum-
stances of modern warfare the man must
act far more on his own individual re-
sponsbility than ever before, and the