The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-12-04

ana 10 dlScharge its just obligations to
:est assured that. be they strong or weak
they haye nothing to dread from outside
in mt More and more the increas
international political and economic rela.
tons render it incumbent on all civilized
and orderly powers to insist on the proper
policing or the world.
During the fall of 1901 a communication
was addressed to the secretary of state
asking whether permission would be
graih nj by y, the president to corporation
| fornia coast to the Philippine Islands by
way of Hawaii. statement of condi-
IONS or terms upon which such corpora
ton would undertake to lay and operate
| a 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, it seemed to
me wise to defer action upon the applica-
ton until the congress had first an oppor-
without taking any action leaving the
matter in exactly the same condition in
W Whlca 1t stood when the congress con-
Meanwhile it appears that the CONNER
clal Pacific Cable company had promptly
proceeded with preparations for laying its
cable; 1t also made application to the
ings taken by the United States steamship
Nero for the purpose of discovering a
e d1r Ph sable
these soundings It could complete its cable
much sooner than if it were required to
fake soundings upon it's own account:
appeared important and desirable to at
tach certain conditions to the permission
to examine and use the soundings if it
In consequence Of this solicitation of the
caDle 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-
lions or ADDITIONS thereto imposed by the
congress- This was deemed proper espe-
clally as 1t was clear that a cable CON
| nection of some kind with China, a for
e1gn country, was part Of the company's
plan. This course was, moreover in &C
cordance. with a 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 1879 of the second French cable from
B Brest to St. Pierre. with "a branch to
These conditions prescribed, among 9TH
er things, maximum rate for CONNER
cial messages and that the company
should ID, construct line from the Philip
pine Islands to China, there being at pres
ent, as is well known, British line from
Manila to Hongkong..
The representatives Of the cable compa-
sideration. continuing in the meantime to
prepare for laying the cable. They have
however, at length acceded 40 them, and
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-
p pea any or all Of them A copy of the
co mt I'll e herewith transmitted.
OF Porto Rico it is only necessary to say
that the prosperity Of the island and the
wisdom with which it has been governed
have been such as to make it serve as an
ministration.'
On July 4 last, on the one hundred and
twenty sixth anniversary of the declara-
n ne. We're promulgated in the Philippine
Islands. Some trouble has since from
Tune to time threatened With the Moham-
tionary Fillpinos the war has entirely
ceased. Civil government has now been
introduced. Not only does each Filipino
pursuit Of happiness as he has never be-
fore known during the recorded history Of
the islands. but the people. taken as a
eminent greater than that granted to any
other sorientals by any foreign power and
greater than that: enjoyed by any other
fe tae aon Swn
hberty and self goyernmen aef But r We have S
it was wise or just to 60. 70 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 or 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
for what it has done in the Philippines,
both In warfare and from an administra-
tive e, standpoint. in preparing the way for
longs to the civil authorities for the way
in which they have planted the seeds Of
self goyernment in the ground thus made
finching endurance, the high soldierly eff
cheney and the general kind heartedness
and humanity of our troops have been
only some Il, 600 troops in the islands. All
told, over 100000 have been sent there. Of
course there have been individual in
warred under fearful difficulties of eli
mate and surroundings, and under the
strain of the terrible provocations which
occasional instances of cruel retaliation
occurred. Every effort has been made to
prevent such cruelties, and finally these
Every effort has also been made to de-
tect and punish the wrongdoers. After
making. all allowance for these misdeeds
the instances in which war has been
waged by 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 incalculable
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 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 conditi ocs 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 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 it is folly to ex-
pect that in the event Of hostilities with
any serious foe even a small army corps
could be handled to advantage. Both our
officers and enlisted men are such that