Evening journal., 1904-12-06

dertaken to protect our citizens from
improper treatment in foreign lands.
We continue steadily to insist on the
application Of the Monroe doctrine TO
the western hemisphere. Unless our
attitude in these and all similar mat
ters is to be a mere boastfu sham we
cannot afford to abandon our naval
programme. Our voice Is now potent
for peace and is SO potent because we
are not afraid Of war. But our prot
estations upon behalf of peace would
neither receive nor deserve the slight
est attention If we were impotent to
make them good.
The Army.
Within the last three years the Unit.
ed States has set an example in dis
armament where disarmament was
proper. BY law our army is fixed al
a maximum Of 100000 and a minimum
Of 10000 men. When there was insur-
rection in the Philippines we kept the
army at the maximum. Peace came in
the Philippines, and now our army
has been reduced 70 the minimum at
which il is possible to keep it with due
regard to its efficiency. we should be
able, In the event Of some sudden
emergency, to put into the field one
hrst class army corps, which should be.
as q whole, at least the equal of any
body OF troops OF like number belong
ing TO any other nation.
Great progress has been made in pro.
tecting our coasts by adequate fortif-
cations with sufficient guns. we
should, however pay much more heed
than at present 70 the development Of
m extensive system of floating mines
for use in all our more important har-
bors. These mines have been proved
TO be a most formidable safeguard
against hostile fleets.
The Philippines.
In the Philippine Islands there has
been during the past year a continue
tion Of the steady progress which has
obtained ever since our troops definite
ly got the upper hand Of the insur-
gents. The Philippine people, or. to
speak more accurately, the many
tribes and even races sundered from
one another more or less sharply who
go to make up the people Of the Philip.
pine Islands, contain many elements
OF good, and some elements which we
have right to hope stand for prog-
ress. At present they are utterly in
capable Of existing in independence at
all OF Of building up a civilization OF
their own. firmly believe that we
can help them to rise higher and high
er in the scale OF civilization and Of
capacity for self government and /
most earnestly hope that in the end
they will be able to stand, if not en-
tirely alone, yet in some such relation
TO the United States as Cuba now
stands. This end is not yet in sight.
and il may be indefinitely postponed
If our people are foolish enough to turn
the attention Of the Filipinos away
from the problems Of achieving moral |
and material prosperity, OF working
for a stable, orderly and Just govern !
ment, and toward foolish and danger
GUS intrigues for a complete independ-
ence for which they are as yet totally
unfit.
On the other hand. our people must
keep steadily before their minds the
fact that the justification for our stay
in the Philippines must ultimately rest
chiefly upon the good we are able to
do in the islands I do not overlook
the fact that in the development of our
interests in the Pacific ocean and
along its coasts the Philippines have
played and will play an important part
and that our interests have been serv-
ed in more than one way by the pos
session Of the islands. But our chief
reason for continuing TO hold them
must be that we ought in good faith