The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-22
PHILIPPINES ARE
DOOR TO ORIENT
Admiral Dewey Contends
for Retention Of Archi-
pelagoby This Country
ITS VALUE IN
FIGHT FOR TRADE
Neteran Naval Officer Urges
That Archipelago Be Held, and
Points (nnt It's trategic
Importance IN strug
gle for CONNER
Gal Supremacy.

WASHINGTON. y. o. September 81.
I Admiral Dewey strongly rssents the
prop osition that has beer discussed in
d more or less academic manner TO
surrender the Philippines. Nvntrh, Of
all men. he was leading factor in
bringing under the sAtnetiesn nag. In
an interview TO-DAY the Admiral set
out clearly the reasons which impei
him to insist upon the retention OF the
Islands SingulhrlY enough. in view
of the fact that the Admiral Is man
of war BY trade, .lio strong point of
his argument Is not based upon the
military or naval Importance of the
archipelago. but almost altogether
upon the great value, present and
prospective, of the Philippines to
America in the extension Of. our trade
with the Orient. which he regards as
holding out the best spremise of COIN
merciar expansion.
The admiral says: Abanhon .ne
philippines. ! don't believe DIR coun-
try will ever do that. Certainly II
should not. becaus,e It has altogether
toe much at stake. 1t Us only our COZ, ,,i
troll over the Philippines that makes ss
1t possible for us to Insist upon inc
open door In the East. toward Which
our diplomacy has been directed Tor
"a number OF years. We want our
share OF the enormous commerce Oh
the East. anu We CANT hr'-P VIC NDOA
open for 1t unless we hold the Is
lands.
"wiy did Spain for 600 years DOM
mate the commerce OF the orient.
Just because she had the bay ana
'cial and naval base. That base can
be Just as useful to us commercially
as 1t was to Spain. For the past Ten
years every strong European nation
commercial and naval purposes In
Eastern watcrs-Germany. Eng land.
France and Russia. -
'.S;pna,a-t siioaid Ispose of the
philippines and Japan shoMd ACQUIRE
along the coast. Here arc the Japa :
ncse islands, here is Formose. which
japan owns, and then come the Phil
lippines. If Japan had them she would
and the United States would be COM
spletely shut out. Every one comedies
that the Orient is the future great
field for the principal commercial ma
tions OF the world. We ought to be
the leaders, but we must at least have
share in the enterprise, and in order
to do so we must maintain the posi-
tions. we have occupied through force
of circumstances in that region l
am talking now of tile purely com
mercial phase of the question. and
think It is plain that must have a
commercial base OF operations, Sucl
as Manila furnishes. And then. In or
der to protecS our commerce. we must
have naval base. and at Subig Bay
such a base is now being developed.
Congress has recognized our needs in
the Philippines and has appropriated
literally for fortfying the islands,
Modern guns are being mounted,
large dry-dock has been located in
Suhig Bay. troops are stationed In the
Island of Luzon. and in every way
Congress has shown it's desire to pro-
tect the islands from foreign aggres-
sion and also to establish a base for
possible military operations.
1T has been frequently said that
the United States has assumed respons
In the Philippines which it
not care to discuss this phase OF the
except to say that / be-
lieve the American people will never
shrink from such responsibilities as
were assumed for them when the
United States took over the Philip
pines.
4 II want to emphasize my belief that
the United States as a world power
win always have commercial and Dip
interests In the Far East and
maintain itself properly With
nut a base of operations.
F"The United States cannot Withdraw
from its present enterprise In the East.
but must go forward seeking its share
of the advantages and sustaining Its
share of the responslbllitics.''