The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-12-05


foreigners. When this is DONE they can
rest assured that. be they strong OF weak.
they have nothing to dread from outside
Interference. More and more the increas-
Ing interdependence and completely of
International political and economic rela-
tons render 1t incumbent on all civilized
and orderly powers to insist on the proper
During the fall OF 1901 communication
was addressed to the secretary or state
granted by the president to corporation
eornia coast to the. philippine Islands BY
tions 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 Legislation 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..
tnnity to act. The congress- adjourned
aep in sIas any hs sa%s IN
which 1t stood when the congress. oon-
Meanwhile 1t appears that the CONNER
cial racine Cable company had promptly
proceeded with preparations for laying It's
cable; 1t also made application to the
President f1r access TO- and use o. s0ahd
Nero for the purpose of discovering
practicable route for a transpacific cable.
these soandings 4 Could Complete its Gable
much sooner than II 1t were required to
take soundings upon its own account.
appeared important and desirable to at
tach certain conditions to the permission
to examine and use the soundings II 1t
In consequence Of this solicitation Of the
cable company certain conditions were
formulated, upon which the president was
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-
cially as 1t was clear that a cable con-
nection of some kind with China, for
eign country, was part OF the companys
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
Brest to st. Pierre. with branch to
These conditions prescribed, among 9TH
er things, maximum rate Tor CONNER
cial messages and that the, company
should construct line from the Philip
pine Islands to China, there being at pres
emit, as is well known. a British line from
Manila to Hongkong.
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 thefconditions is one reserving
the power Of the congress to modify or re-
| peal any or all Of them. A copy Of the
| conditions 10 herewith transmitted.
OF Porto Rico 1t Is only necessary to say
the %hcX as ons
| have been such as to make 1t serve as an
example of all that Is best In insular adj
ministratlon.
On July last. on the one hundred and
| twenty sixth anniversary of the declara-
ton Of our independence peace and am
Islands Some trouble has since from
time to time threatened with the Moham-
| medan Moros, but with the late insurrec-
| 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
hs 9Sr sse aons We save
liberty and self government, but We have
terests Of the Philippine people themselves
| 1t was wise or Just to go. To hurry mat
tiers, to go faster than we are now going.
| the islands. No policy ever entered into
by the American people has indicated It
self IN more signal manner manner, than the poll
umph Of our arms, above all the triumph
| of our laws and principles. has come SOON
than nra Ws nau be- rye eo o the
| for what II has done in the Philippines.
| both in warfare and from an administra-
civil government, and similar credit be-
| longs TO the civil authorities for the way
In which they have planted the seeds Of
ready for them. The courage. the un-
fiinching 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 5000 troops in the islands All
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
| prevent such cruelties. and finally these
| efforts have been completely successful.
| Every effort has also been made to de-
| tect and punish the wrongdoers. After
| making all allowance for these misdeeds
| 1t 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 1nlllpplne lSlanuS. On tne
! 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 n 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 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 ii Is folly to ex-
| pect that in the event of hostilities with
| any serious foe even small army corps
could be handled to advantage. Both our
| we can take hearty pride in them. No
| better material can be found But theN
| must be thoroughly trained, both rs 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
| his own Individual responsibility than
ever before. and the high individual ell
cheney of the unit Is Of the utmost inn