Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Japan and the Philippines.
Says the Springfield Republican,:

Gays the SpElnBDelu
The reports from Japan that a number
of Japanese newspapers are advocating the
Deaceful ACQUISITION of the Philippines
causes The Washington Star to sit up ia
pans affinity for those islands keeps dodg-
Ing to the front. in spite OF all the EFFORTS
TO ignore It. One day there Is rumor
that Ambassador Luke Wright will be In
slructed to sound the mikado's government
on the question; another day the Japanese
press points out how well ntted the Japa-
reese are to succeed where the Americans
can only fail because of radical dinerences
os race and the long distance between
America and Asia. The Washington star.
which insists that the United states VIII
not dispose of the islands. has not read.
pcrhaps the extraordinary praise our Bish-
OBJ Brent has given to the capacity Oh
the Japanese to govern well oversee col
cnles. In managing and developing orien-
ia. races no European or American can
compare with the japanese. says the bishop
IN effect. Such a testimonial ought TO
make II easy for the American imperiallstS
10 strike "a bargain with the mikado. What
they bought, they might sell. There is no
money in the Philippines: and the laps
as civilizers wonder Yes this IS a
subject that we shall hear more about as
time passes.
The esteemed Republican is merry. For
the arguments sake II sees more In The
Stars observations than they contained.
There has not been. and will not be. any
Islands Here and there some irresponsible
gossip on the subject has obtained little
currency. and recently a few japanese
newspapers have repeated 1t in the line of
entertaining their readers with the latest
talk going. But that is all. The Star took
no stock in the talk, and merely pointed
out how absurd 1t was.
But says the Republican, speaking of the
inperialists, what they bought they
might SELL" II the imperlalists were to
propose a sale to Japan would the Repub
lican indorse the proposition? 1t condemn
ed the requirement of the Islands by the
United States, partly on the score that the
twenty million dollars paid to Spain was
traffic in human beings at so much per
head. Would sale to Japan differ from
that in morals? Even IL we could get our
twenty millions back, and all that the
islands have cost US since, would the Re-
publican approve of such a transaction?
How could It? Where would be Its tender
conscience?
We need no good bishop to tell US about
Japan's capacity to administer government.
But would Bishop Brent indorse a PROPOSE
fion TO sell the Philippines to Japan? And
even were he to do so. should we not hear
n very strong protest from many church,
men in America against transferring peo-
pie trained in Christian worship to non
Christian power-even as liberal and en-
lightened a non-Christlan power as Japan?
Undoubtedly. The churches, of all. denomi-
nations. are putting forth greater efforts in
'he Philippines under the stars and stripes
than they would think OF doing under. the
flag of Japan, as worthy as that flag is.
The esteemed Republicans idea that we
shall hear more about this subject as time
passes may be true, but only In the way
of gossip. which returns again and again
10 theme once il is started That gossip
will be worth quite as little as the present
gossip Uncle Sam has no land for sale,
and. as yet is not land poor ss-+s