The National tribune., 1902-12-04
ly powers to insist on the proper policing

ly powers to insist on the proper policing
| of the world"
The agreement for Trans Pacific cable
| is recited and an all-American line be-
tween our Pacific Coast and China -and
| the Philippines will be in operation in a
few months.
The conditions in our island possessions
are thus described
"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 ii serve
us an example of all that is best in insular
administration.
"On July / last ON the 10th anniver-
saw OF the Declaration of Independence.
leace and amnesty We're promulgated in
| the Philippine Islands. Some trouble has
since from time to time threatened with
| the Mohanmedau Moros. but with the
| late insurrectionary Filipinos the war has
entirely ceased. Civil government has
now been introduced. Not only does each
Filipino enjoy such rights 10 life. liberty.
and the pursuit of happiness IS he has
! never before known during the recorded
| history of the islands. but the people taken
as whole now enjoy Il measure of self
| government greater than that granted to
| any other Orientals by any foreign power
| and greater than that enjoyed by any other
| Orientals under their own governments.
save the Japanese alone. We have not
gone too far i'll granting these rights of
/ liberty and Sclf-soyernment: but we have
certainly gone to the limit that in the in
! terests OF the Philippine people them
selves it was wise or just to go. To hurry
matters, to 20 faster than we are now
going. would entail calamity on the peo-
pie of the islands. No policy ever entered
| into by the American people has vindi-
Gated itself in more signal manner than
the policy of holding the Philippines. The
/ triumph of our arms, above all the
| triumph 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 in the
| Philippines both in warfare and from an
administrative standpoint in preparing the
| way for civil government; and similar
credit belongs to the civil authorities for
the way in which they have planted the
| thus made ready for them The courage.
| the unfinching endurance. the high sol
dierly efficiency. and the general kind
| heartedness and humanity of our troops
have been strikingly manifested. There
now remain only some fifteen thousand
troops in the islands. All told. over one
! hundred thousand have been sent there.
| stances of wrongdoing among them. They
warred under fearful difficulties of climate
| and surroundings: and under the strain
| of the terrible prOvOcatiOnS which they
continually received from their foes, Oc-
casional instances of cruel retaliation oc-
| Cured. Every effort has been made to
J prevent such crueltieS, and finally these
/ efforts have been completely successful.
Every effort has also been made to detect
and punish the wrongdoers. After max
ing all allowance for these miSdeeds, it
remains true that few indeed have been
the instances in which war has been wased
by civilized power against semi-civiiiZed
or barbarOus forces where there has been
so little wrOngdOing by the victOrs as in
the Philippine Islands. On the other hand.
the amount Of difficult. important. and
beneficent work which has been done is
well-nigh incaIculable.
Taking the work of the Army and the
civil authorities together, it may be ques-
toned whether anywhere else in modern
times the world has ever seen a better ex-
ample of real constructive craftsmanship
than our people have given in the Philip
pine Islands. High praise should also be
given those Filipinos, in the aggregate
very numerous, who have accepted the
new conditions and joined with our repre-
sentatives to work with hearty good will
for the welfare of the islands,
The army has been reduced to the
minimum allowed by law. "Both our Off
GERS and enlisted men are such that we
can take hearty pride in them. No bet
ter material can be found
The passage of the bill for the General
Staff and for the reorganization of the
supply departments is urged, and also
laws for promotion of the greater efficiency
of the National Guard, and for bringing
the State and National troops into closer
| relations.
The development of the skill of our
naval gunners should receive every atten-
ton. I'm battle the only shots that
counts are the shots that hit. 1t is neces-
sary to provide ample funds for practice
with the great guns in time of peace
These funds must provide not only for the
purchase of projectiles, but for allowances
for prizes to encourage the gun crews
The world is given proper notice that
the Monroe Doctrine is a fundamental
part of our National policy, and that VIC
propose to have navy so strong that
there will never be any question about its
enforcement, and thus peace will be Sc
cured without the necessity of fighting:
"There should be no halt in the work
of building up the navy, providing every
year additional fighting craft. We are a
very rich country, vast in extent of terri
tory and great in population; country,
moreover, which has an Army diminutive
indeed when compared with that of any
other first-class power. We have deliber-
ately made our own certain foreign poll
cies which demand the possession of a
tirst-class navy. The Isthmian Canal will
greatly increase the efficiency of our navy
if the navy is of sufficient size; but if we
have an inadequate navy, then the build
ing of the canal would be merely giving
a hostage to any power of superior