The Columbus journal., 1902-12-10

Panama Canal Company. Negotiation,
are now pending with Colombia to se
sure her assent to our building the canal
This work should be carried out - ,
continuing policy without regard &
change Of administratj atjon: and Il shoult
be begun under circumstances which
VII make It . matter Of pride for al
administrations to continue the policy
The canal win be OF great benefit Il
world. 1t will be of advantage to N
industrially and also AZ Improving oul
military position. It viii be Of advan.
tage to the countries Of tropical Amer.
lea. 1t u earnestly to be hoped tina,
all Of these countries will do n some
OF them have already done with sigma
success. and will invite to their shores
commerce and improve their materia
conditions by recognising that stability
and order are the prerequisites Of sue.
cessful development. No independent m.
ton In America need have the slightest
fear Of aggression from the United
States. 1t behooves each one to main.
tain order within its own borders and
to discharge its just obligations to for.
eigners. When this 10 done, they car
rest assured that. be they strong OF
weak. they have nothing to dread from
outside interference. More and more the
increasing interdependence and complex.
ity Of international political and eco
nomic relations render 1t Incumbent on
all civilized and orderly powers to in
sist on the proper policing Of the world
Pacific Cable Assured.
During the fall Of 1901 q communication
was addressed to the Secretary Of State.
asking whether permission would be
granted by the President to q CORPORA
ton to lay a cable from q point on the
California coast to the Philippine islands
by way Of Hawaii. A statement of con-
ditions or terms upon which such cor
poration would undertake to lay and
operate q 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. II SEEM
ed to me wise to defer action upon the
application until the Congress had first
an opportunity to act. The Congress ad-
journed without taking any action. leav-
ing the matter In exactly the same con-
dition in which 1t stood when the Con-
gres9 convened.
Meanwhile 1t appears that the Com
mercial Pacific Cable Company had
promptly proceeded with preparations for
laying its cable. 1t also made applica-
use Of soundings taken by the U. 8. s.
Nero. for the purpose Of discovering q
practicable route for a trans-Pacific ca
BILE. the company urging that with ac-
cess to these soundings 1t could complete
its cable much sooner than II II were
required to take soundings upon its own
account.
In consequence Of this solicitation of
the cable company. certain conditions
were formulated. upon which the Presi-
dent was willing to allow access to these
and to consent to the landing
and laying Of the cable. subject to any
or additions thereto imposed
by the Congress. This was deemed prop
er. especially as 1t was clear that q cable
Of some kind with China, q
foreign country, was . part Of the COM
pany's plan.
These conditions prescribed. among
other things. a maximum rate for COM
mercIal messages and that the company
pine islands to China. there being at
present. as is well known. q British line
from Manila to Hong-Kons.
The representatives Of the cable COM
pany kept these conditions long under
continuing. in the mean
time. to prepare for laying the cable.
They have. however. at length acceded
to them. and an all-American line be-
tween our Pacific coast and the Chinese
empire. by way of Honolulu and the
Philippine islands. IL thus provided for.
be ready for business
Philippine Policy vindIeated.
On July last. on the one hundred and
twenty sixth anniversary Of the declara-
ton Of our independence. peace and am
nesty were promulgated in the Philip
pine islands. Some trouble has since
from time to time threatened with the
Moros, but with the late
FilipinOs the war has en-
tirely ceased. Civil government has now
been introduced. Not only does each
Filipino enjoy such rights to life. liberty
never before known during the recorded
history Of the islands. but tho people
taken as a whole now enjoy a measure
Df self-government greater than that
granted to any other orientals by any
foreign power and greater than that en-
|oyed 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
but we have certainly gone
to the limit that In the interests Of the
Philippine people themselves 1t was wise
,r just to go. To hurry matters. to 20
'aster than we are now going. would en-.
tail calamity on the people Of the islands.
No policy ever entered into by the Amer
can people has vindicated itself In more
signal manner than the policy Of holding
he Philippines. The triumph Of our
lrms. above all the triumph Of our laws
md principles. has come sooner than we
had any right to expect. Too much
No IN t4SA
What 1t has done in the Philippines. both
n warfare and from an administrative
standpoint in preparing the way for civil
and similar credit belongs to
he civil authorities for the way ia which
hey have planted the seeds Of self-kov.
.rnment in the ground thus made ready
or them. The courage. the unflinchinR
endurance. the high soldierly efficiency,
md the general kind-heartedness and
Of our troops have been strik-
ngly manifested. There now remain only
'ome $1,000 troops in the islands. All
old. over 100000 have been sent there.
II course. there have been individual in
stances OF wrongdoing among them.
They warred under fearful difficulties Of
Innate and surroundings: and under the
train Of the terrible provocations which
hey co1tinually receive from their foes.
occasional instances Of cruel retaliation
o prevent such cruelties. and finally |
hese efforts have been completely sue
essful. After making all allowance for
hese misdeeds. 1t remains true that few
indeed have been the instances in which |
var has been waged by q civilized power
gainst semi-civilized and barbarous
orces where there has been 50 little |
by the victors 40 in the PHIL |
ppine islands. On the other hand, the |
mount Of difficult. important. and bene- |
lcient work which has been done Is |
vell-nigh incalculable.
Praise for Friendly Filipinoo.
Taking the work Of the army and the |
ivil authorities together. It may be ques-
ioned whether anywhere else in modern |
lines the world has seen q better exam- |
lie Of real constructive craftsmanship |
han our people have given in the Philip |
Inc islands. High praise should also be /
iven those Filipinos. in the aggregate |
cry numerous. who have accepted the |
ew conditions and Joined with our rep
to work with hearty good |
Till for the welfare Of the Islands.
National Guard Reorganization.
The measure providing for the reor. /