Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1905-05-11
SEVEN Yea1s Ago nj MnnIla Bay

seven lenis Ago NJ uHhilI Day
How many people recall the
event that transpired in Manila
Bay seven years ago last Sunday
I On that May day marked the end
of Americas social and political
Isolation. Not until then had
the possibility Of Asiatic empire
for the United States ever dawned
on the minds Of any except few
chosen spirits among Americans.
Not until that day was the po-
sition Of he Philippines or their
connection with Spain known to
the average person in this conn
try.
When the war began it was as
sumed that the United States
would drive Spain out Of Cuba.
1t was supposed, indeed, by a
small number'of persons, that in
the conflict Porto Rico would
also be lost to Spain, although.
the people Of thatisland had man
ifested-ho burning desire for this
change. TO the general public
here, the Philippines were only a
name. The officials in Washing
ton who ordered Dewey to:cap-
ture or destroy the Spanish Ilect
in the archipelago, knew, of
course, that this was the only,
way IN which our Pacific coast
could be protected from Spanish
attacks, and, it is safe to say that
none of them at the time the
order was given knew the conse-
qucnces that would come from
the success Of that achievement.
There were Americans who
long ago predicted that this
country's power in the Pacific
would be vastly greater than it
was in their day. Benton pointed
out two-thirds of century ago
that the road to India was
through the South pass and the
mouth of the Oregon. Benton,
however, as ardent an expansion
ist as he was, was hardly think
ing of anything beyond CONNER.
conquests. Many of the fore
casts Asiaward Of William Gilpin
of over half a century ago showed
: that that seer may have been
looking for political control for
the United States in some part oil
that quarter, as he uudoubtedl,
; looked for social sway.
Seward, another prophet, be
lieved that one day the Pacili,
, would be the arena of event,
. vastly greater in scope and con
sequences than any which the AT
, lantic had as yet seen, and he
took preliminary precautions tina
;. the United States should hav
, the shaping of these events b,
anncXing Alaska with its thous
and islands, Benton, Gilpin ant
, Seward had visions of their coun
try's future which were denied t,
the masses of their countrymcn
! One of the first exclamation
: of ltaly's eX-premier, Crispi, OF
, hearing of Dcwey's victory was
"What will be the consequence
when the inevitable contlic
, comes between disunited Europ
and the United States of Americ
i'll ASia?" The astute Italia,
statesman loresaw that the lla
which went up in Manila Bay o
that May morning seven year
, ago would stay up. He knew
:, whether the United States as we
}. realized it or not, that the grea
: industrial and social forces whicl
had been expanding here almoS
unperccived by the world woul'
now assert themselves, and tina
the era of American isolation ha,
= closed. Other observers abroa,
n also grasped this truth prompt
Z although it did not become plat
Y to the Americans themselves a
z first.
Y Viewed in the retrospect, In
2 connections aud consequences ar
Is clear to everybody, though poll
& ical acquisitions on the mainlan
I of Asia are neither expected nc
y desired by any Americans. 1t
9 easy to imagine that Fremont, a
! many years ago, he raised tn
8 stars and stripes in San Francis
I co, looked out through the Golde
: Gate, and asked, SIS this the en-
y OF the Americans westwar
q marchI" Dewey's guns, half