Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-03-25
The DANGER IS SEEN
GROWING DISPOSITION TO DROP
IMPERIALISM.
The Philippines Source Of Military
weakness and Peril. ErStwhiIe
Rampant ImperiaIiSts Would Now
be Pleased With Opportunity to
Let the Islands Go.

There is widespread and outspoken
belief that the Philippines are not worth,
and not likely to become worth, the
blood and treasure they have cost. There
is also growing conviction, hardly less
outspoken, to the effect that Uncle Sam
should get rid of his white elephant
without undue delay, provided OF cou, sc
that the process shall involve no sacrifice
of national honor. This belief has been
strengthened by the incidents of the last
few weeks, which plainly show that even
if the retention OF the islands is at all de.
sirable they will remain a constant
source OF military weakness and posi-.
tive military peril unless the United
States shall undertake to maintain
permanently in the archipelago a naval
force strong enough to cope with any
fleet which can be brought against
it by a single power or by a coalition
having a naval base in the orient. This
will mean at least tho doubling OF our
present naval strength unless our home
coasts are to be left unprotected.
That such talk is no longer considered
that OF "weakings" or ''cravens" ap-
pears from the fact that it is heard in
political quarters where while ago it
would have been denounced as treason.
The New York Press, thick and thin
champion OF Roosevelt republicanisni,
learns that the question of disposing OF
the Philippines has "been discussed
more than once in recent White House
conferences, and that "the president was
surprised to find that many Of the most
conservative members OF his party had
changed front on the question within
six months, that they believe that some
plan should be formed by the republican
party that would let the United States
get out OF the islands at not too remote
PERIOD"
If half the ingenuity that has been
wasted in attempting to justify our
course in holding the Philippines should
be devoted to ways and means OF getting
rid of them, the task would be accom-
plished in short order. Even now the
advocates of indefinite retention are few
and far between. The only practical
question is when we shall cut the lead.
ing strings and allow the natives to work
out their own salvation. A protectolate
would be as bad as proprietorship. The
plan said to be most in favor in republi.
can circles in Washington is to grant the
natives independence and require the
payment by them OF our expenditure in
the islands. We have probably expend.
ed over 100000, 900 on the Philippines,
an amount large enough to have built a
government transcontnental railroad
and completed all the irrigation projects
before the interior department.
Could the question OF disposing OF the
islands be submitted to the people with
out being complicated by issues now
considered OF more immediate import
ance the verdict would not be in doubt.
Could the United States be freed from
the incubus and peril, the magnitude OF
which is just coming to be generally ap.
preciated, owing to our receut trouble
with Japan, the nation would be free to
turn it's undivided attention to the great
domestic questions which confront it,
untrammeled bv actual or prospective
conflicts involving its honor and safety
on the other side OF the world. 1t would
be by no means surprising to see incor.
porated in the republican national plat
form plank providing for the disposal
OF our white elephant on terms honorable
to the nation and just to the Filipinos.-
Walla Walla Union.
ABERDEEN WEATHER RECORD.
For Week fndiOO March 2Y hls r