The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-12-04

to maintain order within it's 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 il incumbent on all civilized
an,,,i and orderly powers to insist on the proper
During the fall of 1901 a communication
was addressed to the secretary Of state
asking whether permission would be
80 iay Cable POINT oH tRs ca
fornia coast to the Philippine Islands by
way Of Hawaii A statement Of condi-
ton would undertake to lay and operate
cable was volunteered.
lnasmuch as the congress was shortly to
been the subject Of consideration by the
congress for seyeral years, il seemed to
me wise to defer action upon the applica-
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 II appears that the CONNER
cial Pacific Cable 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 a
u
the company urging that with access to
these soundings II could complete its cable
much sooner than II II were required to
take soundings upon its own account.
appeared important and desirable to at
taCh certain conditions to the permission
IL examine and use the soundings II It
In consequence OF this solicitation Of the
cable company certain conditions were
formulated. upon which the president was
will iny RI al 70 ~
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 IL was clear that a cable con-
nection OF some kind with China. a for
eign country. was part OF the company's
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 20 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
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 a pres
ent, as is we'll 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. a copy Of the
conditions is herewith transmitted.
or Porto Rico IL is only necessary to say
that the prosperity OF the island and the
wisdom with which il has been governed
have been such as to make IL serve as an
ninistration-
On July last on the one hundred and
twenty-sixth anniversary Of the declara-
ton Of our Independent peace and am
nesty were promulgated IN the Philippine
Islands. Some troub,- has since from
time to tie threatened with the Moham,
medan Sioros; 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
fore known during the recorded history OF
the islands. but the people. taken as a
ernment greater than that granted to any
other orientals by any foreign power and
greater than that enjoyed by any other
osiensals ais under their own
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
by the American people has vindicated it
self in more signal manner than the poll
cy Of holding the PHILIPPINES The tri, I
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
u
both in warfare and from an administra-
tive standpoint. In preparing the way for
longs 10 the civil authorities for the way
in which they have. planted the seeds of
self government IN the ground thus mage
ready for them. The courage. the un-
cheney and the general Kind heartedness
and humanity of our troops have been
strikingly manifested There now remain
only some lso00 troops in the islands. Al
eS1n course e'eh there ' have BEEN @ f inaIviduai "a
stances of wrongdoing among them. They
mafe and %nasr ana sndf ef s
\ strain Of the terrible. pr9v9catiops which
they continually received from their foes
Instances or Of cruel ae petaiai9n
prevent such cruelties. and finally these
efforts have been completely successful
Every effort has also been made to de
| making all allowance for these misdeeds
| it remains true that few indeed have been
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 difhcult impor-
tant and beneficent work which has been
done Is well nigh incalculable.
Taking the work Of the army and the
toned % whether anywhere else In n modern
times tsc world has seen better exam
| pie Of real constructive statesmanship
pne E1 Hsh avI praise should m also Be
| given those Filipinos - In the aggregate
very numerous-who have accepted the
to- war and Th
for the welfare Of the islands.
The army has been reduced to the mini
5a a % by nation a% and s t ey pH
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 mt
| them to do their duty In time Of actual
war. system OF maneuyering mar, % our army
| gun and should be steadily continued
| Without such maneuvers 1t 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
| 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
| tention. In the circumstances Of modern
| warfare the man must act far more on
his own individual responsibility than
| ever before. and the high individual eff
| cheney of the unit Is OF the utmost i'm
| portance Formerly this unit was the
| regiment. 1t Is now not the regiment, not
| even the troop or company: It Is the indi-
vidual soldier. Every effort must be made
| to develop every workmanlike and SOL
| dierly quality In both the officer and the
| enlisted man.
| I urgently call your attention to the
need Of passing bill providing for gen.
| era1 stan and for the reorganization OF
the supply departments on the lines Of the