The Somerset reporter., 1902-12-04

to continue the policy.
Tee canal and will Rs OF sPes t6 BENEFIT
world. 1t will be of advantage to us in
dustrially and also s improving our mill
itary position. It will be Of advantage to
the countries of tropical America. 1t is
earnestly to be hoped that all of these
countries will do some OF them have
already done with signal success and will
invite to their shores commerce and i'm
prove their material conditions by recog
nizing that stability and order are the
prerequisites OF successful development;
No Independent nation IN America need
have the slightest fear OF aggression from
the United States. 1t behooves each one
to maintain order within Its own borders
and to discharge Its just obligations to
foreigners. When this Is done, they can
rest assured that, be they strong or weak
they have nothing to dread from outside
interference. More and more the increas-
ing interdependence and complexity Of
International political and economic rela-
tons render II incumbent on all civilized
policing of the world
During the fall of 1901 a Communication
was addressed to the secretary OF state
asking whether permission would be
granted by the president to corporation
to lay cable from a point on the Cali
fornia coast to the Philippine Islands by
lions or terms upon which such corpora
ton would undertake to lay and operate
cable was volunteered.
Inasmuch as the congress was shortly to
convene and Pacific cable legisla ton had
been the subject OF consideration by the
congress for several years. 1t seemed to
me wise to defer action upon the applica-
ton until the congress had first an oppor-
tunity to act. The congress adjourn ed
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 States steamship
Nero for the purpose OF discovering q
practicable route for a transpacifc cable
the company urging that with access to
these soundtngs 1t could complete its cable
much sooner than IL 1t 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 soundings II 1t
should be granted.
In consequence of this solicitation of the
cable company certain conditions were
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-
tons or additions thereto imposed by the
congress This was deemed proper, espe-
cially as 1t was clear that cable CON
nection of some kind with China, for
etgn country, was part of the company's
plan. This course was. moreover, In ac-
cordance with a line of precedents includ-
of the first French cable, explained to the
congress in his annual message of De-
cember, 1873, and the instance occurring
in 1879 of the second French cable from
Brest to st. Pierre. with a branch to
Cape Cod.
These conditions prescribed. among 9TH
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, q 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
a 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. A copy of the
conditions is herewith transmitted.
OF Porto Rico 1t Is only necessary to say
wisdom with which 1t has been governed
have been such as to make 1t serve as an
example Of all that is best in insular ad-
ministration.
On July 4 last on the one hundred and
twenty sixth anniversary Of the declara-
ton 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-
tonary 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
eminent 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
ra hn To m nIn
gone too far In granting these rights OF
liberty and self government but we have
certainly gone to the limit that in the in
terests of the Philippine people themselves
1t was wise or just to go. To hurry mat
ters 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 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
err than we had any right to expect. Too
much praise cannot be given to the army
both In warfare and from an admnistra-
tive standpoint, In preparing the way for
civil government, and similar credit be-
longs 70 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 soldierly eff
cheney and the general kind heartedness
and humanity of our troops have been
strikingly manifested, There now remain
only some 1900 troops in the islands. All
told. over 100, 900 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 proVocations which
they continually received from their foes
occasional instances of cruel retaliation
occurred. Every effort has been made to
prevent such cruelties. and finally these
efforts have been completely successful
a TT1uH do IN 10
tect and punish the wrongdoers. After
making all allowance for these misdeeds
It 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 beneficent work which has been
done Is well nigh lncalculabe
Taking the work of the army and the
civil authorities together, II may be ques-
toned whether anywhere else in 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 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 mini
mum allowed by law 1t 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 lit
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 IL is folly to eN-
pect that in the event of hostlites with
any serious foe even a small army corps
could be handled to advantage Both our