The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-27
AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM.

Editor The Washington Herald.
Suppose there had been a destructive
earthquake ar Manila and Great Britain
had sent two Of her battle ships from
Hongkong for the relief Of the sufferers:
and suppose that without first consulting
the governor of the Philippines the Brit
ish admiral had sent armed parties ashore
to aid in clearing the streets and policing
the capital. and afterward. in explana-
ton Gf not apology for such UuciviI zeal
should have written a note in which he
expressed to the governor the opinion
that the police surveillance Of the city
was Inadequate for the protection of PR
vatc property
Suppose. also. that by some inadvertence
the British admiral had failed 10 comply
with the American governors considerate
request that there should be no cannonad-
ing for fear that the terror of the earth
quake would be revived among the scared
and stricken population. and that never
Jhe!ess the guns Of the British men-of-
war had Numbered out the usual salute
and Jared the overwr0ught nerves Of the
survivors. Suppose. Furthermore. that the
British admiral IN the same note in which
he apOlogized for this unfortunate occur
renee and expressed his opinion of the in
adequacy of the local police Ga point on
which any magistrate would surely be
.sensitiyel-sUppose that the British ad-
miral had said in this same note mot
that he sought for the earliest oppor-
tuni-y TO put himself and his resources
at the governors disposal and 10 ascer-
tain and carry out his wishesl that
lie lad already landed working parties
from both ships 20 aid in clearing the
various streets and buildings" And
worse than thaO suppose that instead
o. asking the American governor what he
would Ike to have him do, the British
admiral had said in this same note: I
propose landing parties tomorrow for
the same purpose unless you expressly %
not desire it,
1t was a delicate as well as a humane
mission with which the admiral was in
trusted. The inyioIableuess Of territory
amoug nations is like the sauctity Of the
home among men. But this e2traordi-
nary letter, which is now republished as
authentic. proceeds as follows. AS the
only object of my being here is TO render
such assistance as can, / trust you will
justify me in this matter for the cause
Of common humanity" Justify him
what justification would he have needed if
he felt. or. at least, suspected that he
had spoiled a benevolent undertaking by
a breach of the first elements of iuterna-
tional courtesy and official decorum?
As for the promiscuous abuse that has
been poured upon Gov. Swettenham by
such a horde Of our newspapers. il is %
be said that they simply lose their heads
and their manners when their national
vanity (Which. by the way, is largely
PERSONAL is wounded. I recOlleCJ that
when Italy, not beinE able 20 deal directly
with the State of Louisiana, called the
United States to account for the murder
Of the Italian prisoners while in the Gus
tody of the law, at New Orleans, a hu4
and cry was raised throughout the cc~1-
Try against the Italian Minister at this
capital, and one of our Washington Jou.-
nails cariCatuTed him as an OrE1n-s7 i.1s-i
with a monkey, and abused him as = ne
had been Il member of the Malta himself
Among the dogs that have been barking
1T Gov. Swettenham there are "a great
many ours. But happily the two govern
ments understand what has happened and
will probably agree to regard the incl
dent as closed. ut least SO far as its III
ternatiOnal character is concerned.
CRANMOND KENNEDY.
January "a 1907