The Springfield herald., 1904-12-09

oppr. sson as the cruelty and oppression
of which the ArmeDians have been tho
victims. and which have wen LOT thei"
the indignant pity of the civilized "oiio'
eJoht. OF American Citizens Abroad.
Even where 1t is not possible 10 Sc
cure in other nations the observance OF
the principles which we accept as az
iomatic. 1t is necessary for, us hrm'g 10
ipsist upon the rights Of 9uy ssown aH.
gems without regard to their cfeedl OF
,facc; witnou: regard to Whether shey
were born mere OF born abroad.
The Navy.
The strong arm OF the government In
enforcing respect. for -iIz Just rights. ie
international matters is the navy OF the
United States { most earnestly recon-
mend that there be no halt in the work
of upbuilding the American navy. There
IL no more patriotic duty before US as
people than to keep the navy adequn'e
10 the needs OF this couniry's position
NE have undertaken to build the Isth-
milan canal We have undertaken to Sc
cure for ourselves our just share In the
| trade Of the Orient We have under
| taken to protect our citizens from Inn
proper treatment in foreign lands. we
[ continue steadily To Insist on the appli'
| cation of the Monroe doctrine to the
western hemisphere. Unless our attitude
| in these and aIl similaEt matters Is TO 10
! u mere boastful sham We can not anora
| 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 ptotextations upon behalf OF
peace would neither. receive nor deserve
| the slightest attention II We were I'm
\ potent to make them good.
Tn. Army.
Within the last three years the United
| States has set an example in disnrma-
ment where disarm ment was proper.
BY law our army Is fixed at . maximum
| Of one hundred thousand and 4 minimum
| of sixty thousand men. When there was
| Insurrection in the Philippines we kept
| the army at the maximum. Peace came
in the Philippines. md now our army
has been reduced to the minimum nt
| which IL Is possible TO keep II with due
regard to Its efficiency. The guns now
| mounted require twenty eight thousand
men. II the coast furtificntions are to be
adequately manned. Relatively to the
ma lion. II Is not now 20 large as ths po-
lice force Of New York or Chicnso rela-
| lively to tina populat ion of either city.
Wa need more officers: there are not
enough to perform the regular army
! work It is veryeinportant tir1f the ON
GERS Of The army should be accustomed
to handle their mer in masses. as 1t Is
| also important that the national guard
Of the several states should be hccus-
TONED to actual field maneuveGinR. espe-
cially in connection with the regulars
For this renson we nrs 10 be congratu-
enuvers at Manassas last fall. maneuveTs
In which a larger number of regulars
and national guard took part than was
ever before nsse mbled together In time
of peace. No other civilized nation has.
relatively to its population. such a di-
m!uutiye army as ours; and while the
army is 30 small We are not TO be ez-
cuse1 II we faR TO keep II at very high
grade Of proficiency.
The Philippines.
In the Philippine islands there has
been during the past yenr a continuation
Of the steady progress which has OBJ
tained ever since our troops definitely
got the upper hand OF the insurgents.
The Philippine people. or. to speak moro
accurately. the many tribes. and even
races. snndered from one another more
or less sharply. who go to make up the
people Of the Philippine Islands. contain
many elements OF good. and some ele-
ments which we have right TO hope
stand for progress. AT present they are
utterly incapable of existing in indie
pepdence al all Or OF building up a civ
Diza ton of their own, i firmly, believe
that we can help them to rise higher and
higher in the scalc'@ef Civilization and
of capacity for self government. and
most earnestly hope that in the end they
VIII be able to stand. II not entirely alone.
vet in some such relation to the United
States as Cuba now stands This end
Is not yet in sight. and it may be In
definitely postponed II our "1,eoplet sare
foolish enough to turn the attention OF
the Filipinos away from the problems Of
achieving moral and material prosperity.
Of working for n stable. orderly. and just
government. and toward foolish and dan
gerous intrigues for complete independ-
ence for which they yet totally
unfit --. -- ..,,.
On the other hand our people must
keep stoadily before their minds the fact
hot ba tpsf ffiTaf FOR oItr Sfa n n
philippines must ultimately rest chiefly
upon the good we are able to do in the
Islands, do not overlook the fact that
In the develOpment- of our ipterests IN
the Pacific ocean and along its coasts.
The Philippines have played and will play
an .ipipprtant part. and that our interests
have Asrnf,served IN more than one way
by, tfia possession of the Islands But
our CHEF reason for continuing to hold
them must be that we ought in good
faith TO try to do our share OF the
worlds work. and this particular piece
! of work hns, been imposed upon US by
the results f''the war with Spain. The
problen nrescntsd.,to US in the Philip
pine Islands Is akin to, but not exactly.
like the problems presented to the other
great- civilized powers which have pos
sessions In the Orient. More distinctly
Jthnn any OF the powers we are endeav-
oring to develop the natives themselves
so that they shnll take an verincrens-
Ing snare IN tnelr own government, anu
as far as is prudent we are already ad-
.mitting their representatives to n gov
ernmental equality With our own. There
are commissioners Judges, and governors
IN the Islands who are Filipinos and who
have exactly the same share in the gov
ernment OF the islands as have their col
leagues who are Americans. while in the
lower ranks. of course. the great major
Fifty of the public servants are Filipinos
Within two years We shall be trying the
experiment OF an elective lower house In
the Philippine legislature.
Meanwhile our own people should re-
member that there Is need for the high
est standard OF conduct among the Amer.
leans sent to the Philippine Islands, no,
only among the public servants but
among the private individuals who go
to them. IT Is because ] feel this 50
deeply that in the administration of these
Islands ! have positively refused TO per-
init any discrimination whatsoever for
political reasons and have Insisted that
in choosing the public servants consid
Grafton should be paid solely to the
worth of the men chosen and TO the
needs of the Islands. There is enoI high;
er body OF men In our public service
than, we have in the Philippine Islands
under Gov. Wright and his associates.
So far as possible these men should be
given free hand. and their suggestions
should receive the hearty backing both