The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1902-12-03

rest dssuTeu tlal, De lhey strong or weak,
they have nothing to dread from outside
Interference. More and more the increas-
ing interdependence and cOmpleNity Of
International political and economic rela-
Tons render II incumbent on all civilized
ind orderly powers to insist on the proper
policing Of the world.
During the fall of 1901 communication
was addressed to the secretary Of state
asking whether permission would be
granted by the president to a corporation
TO ny cable from point on the Cali
fornia coast to the Philippine Islands by
way Of Hawaii A statement of condi-
tons or terms upon which such corpora
ton would undertake to lay and operate
cable was volunteered.
lnasmuch as the congress was shortly TO
convene and Pacific cable legislation had
been the subject Of consideration by the
congress for several years, II seemed to
me wise to defer action upon the applica-
ton until the congress had first an oppOr-
tunity to act. The congress adjourned
without taking any action, leaving the
matter in exactly the same condition in
which 1t stood when the congress con-
vened.
Meanwhile it appears that the CONNER
cial Pacific Gable company had promptly
proceeded with preparations for laying its
cable. 1t also made application to the
president for access to and use of sound
ings taken by the United S'ates steamship
Nero for the purpose OF discovering "A
practicable route for Il transpacihc cable.
the company urging that with access to
these soundings IL could complete its cable
much sooner than II ii were required to
take sOundings upon its own account.
Pending consideration Of this subject it
appeared important and desirable to at
tach certain conditions to the permission
to examine and use the soundngs If il
should be granted.
In consequence Of this solicitation Of the
cable company certain conditions We're
formulated, upon which the president was
willing to allow access to these sound
ings and to consent to the landing and
laying Of the cable, subject to any altera-
tions or additions thereto imposed by the
congress. This was deemed proper, espe-
cially as II was clear that Il cable con-
nection OF some kind with China, a for
elgn country, was part of the Companys
plan. This course was moreover, In ac-
cordance with line of precedents. includ-
ing President Grants action in the case
Of the first French cable, explained to the
congress in his annual message of De-
cember, 1875. and the instance occurring
in 1873 Of the second French cable from
Brest TO st. Pierre, with branch to
Cape Cod
These conditions prescribed. among 9TH
er things, maximum rate for CONNER
cial messages and that the company
should construct line from the Philip
pine Islands to China, there being at pres
ent as is well known, a British line from
Manila to Hongkong,
The representatives OF the cable compa-
ny kept these conditions long under con-
sideration, continuing in the meantime to
prepare for laying the cable. They have
however, at length aCCeded to them. and
an all American line between our Pacific
coast and the Chinese empire by way Of
Honolulu and the Philippine Islands is
thus provided for and Is expected within
few months to be ready for business.
Among the conditions Is one reserving
the power Of the congress to modify or re-
peal any or all of them. y copy of the
conditions is herewith transmitted.
OF Porto Rico it is only necessary to say
that the prosperity Of the island and the
wisdom with which 1t has been governed
have been such as to make ii serve as an
example of all that is best In insular ad-
mnistration.
On July last on the one hundred and
twenty-siXth anniversary Of the declara-
tiOn Of our independence. peace and am
nesty were promulgated in the Philippine
Islands. Some trouble has since from
time to time threatened with the Moham-
medan Moros, but with the late insurrec-
uonary FilipinOs the war has entirely
ceased Civil government has now been
introduced. Not only does each Filipino
enjoy such rights to life liberty and the
pursuit of happiness as he has never be-
fore known during the recorded history Of
the islands but the people taken as a
whole, now enjoy measure of self gov
ernmCnt 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 in granting these rights OF
liberty and self government. but we have
certainly gone to the limit that i'm the in
terests of the Philippine people themselves
II was wise or just to go. To hurry mat
ters. to go faster than we are now going
would entail calamity on the people VI
the Islands. No policy ever entered into
by the American people has vndiCated IT.
self in more signal manner than the poll
cy Of holding the Philippines. The tri-
umph Of our arms, above all the triumph
Of our laws and principles, has come soon
er than we had any right to expect Too
much praise cannot be given to the army
for what 1t has done in the Philippines,
both in warfare and from an adminstra-
tive standpoint, in preparing the way for
civil government. and similar credit be-
longs 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 un-
finching endurance the high sOlderly eff
cheney and the general kind heartedness
and humanity cf our troops have been
strikinGly manifested. There now remain
only some l5O0) troops in the islands All
told. over l0). .00O have been sent there. OF
course there have been individual in
stances of wrongdoing among them. They
warred under fearful difficulties Of eli
mate and surroundings. and under the
strain Of the terrible pruvoCatiOns which
they continually received from their foes
occasional instances Of cruel retaliation
occurred Every effort has been made to
prevent such Crueltics, and finally these
efforts have been completely successful.
Every effort has also been made to de-
tect and punish the wrOngdOcrs. After
making all allowance for these mlsdeeds
II remains true that few indeed have been
the instances in which war has been
waged by a civilized power against semi
civilized or barbarous forces where there
has been so little wrongdOing by the vic
tors as in the Philippine Islands. on the
other hand. the amount Of difficult, impor-
tant and benehcent work which has been
done is well nigh incalculable
Taking the work Of the army and the
civil authorities together. II may be qucs-
iiOned whether anywhere else I'm modern
times the world has seen better exam
pie Of real constructive craftsmanship
than our people have given in the Philip
pine Islands. High praise should also be
given those FilpinOs in the aggregate
very numerous-who have accepted the
new conditions and Joined with our repre-
sentativps to work with hearty good Will
for the welfare Of the islands
The army has been reduced to the mini
mum allowed by law. II Is very small for
the size Of the nation and most certainly
should be kept at the highest point of eff
cheney The senior officers are given scant
chance under ordinary conditions To eX-
ercise commands commensurate with their
rank under circumstances which would fit
them to do their duty in time Of actual
war. A system Of maneuvering our army
in bodies of some little size has been be-
gun and should be steadily continued.
without such maneuvers 1t is folly to ex-
peCt that in the event Of hostiites with
any serious foe even n small army corps
could be handled to advantage Both our
officers and enlisted men are such that
we can take hearty pride in them. No
better material can be found. But the
must be thoroughly trained, both as indi-
viduals and in the mass. The marksman-
ship Of the men must receive special at
tcntion. In the circumstances Of modern
warfare the man must act far more on
lis own individual responsibility than
Iver before. and the high individual eff
iiency Of the unit is Of the utmost i'm
Iortancc. Formerly this unit was the
regiment. II is now not the regiment, not
wen the troop or company: II is the indi-
tidual soldier. Every effort must be made
to develop every workmanlike and sol
dierly quality I'm both the officer and the
enlisted man.
! urgently call your attention To the
need OF passing a bill providing for q gen
eral staff and for the reorganization Of
the supply departments on the lines Of the
bill proposed by the secretary Of war last