Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-09-22
Proposition 10 Surrender The Is
land Strongly Resented by
Man Who Took Them.
QUESTION DISCUSSED At LENGTH
America Cannot Afford to Allow the
Only Gateway to the Orient to
Pass Into Hands Of Japanese and
Thus, Cut OFF Our Eastern Com.
merce, the Admiral Says.

NASiilNt ION, II. O., Sept. IL
Admiral Dewey strongly resents the
proposition that has been discussed
in more or less academic manner
TO surrender the Philippines. which.
OF all men. he was a loading factor
in bringing under the American
flag.
In the Interview today the admiral
set out clearly the reasons which i'm.
pei MIN to insist upon tho retention
OF the islands. Singularly enough.
In view of the fact that the admiral
Is man OF war by trade, the strong
point OF his argument Is not based
upon the military or naval Importance
OF the archipelago. hut almost alto.
sather upon the great value, present
ana prospective. of the Philippines to
America in the extension OF our trade
with the Orient, which he regards as
holding out the best promise of com
mercial expansion.
Country viii Never Do II.
The admiral says: abandon the
Philippines, | Idon't believe our coun-
try will ever do that. Certainly ii
should not, because ii has altogether
control over the Philippines that
makes 1t possible for MS to insist
upon the open door IN the East. which
our diplomacy has been directed for n
number of years. We want our share
of the enormous commerce of the
East and we can't keep the door
open for it, unless we hold the is.
lands.
why did Spain for two hundred
years dominate the commerce of the
Orient? Just because she had the
bay and harbor of Manila as great
COMMERCIAL and naval bases. That
base can be just ms useful to us com.
mercially rs it was to Spain. For
the past ten years every strong Euro.
pean nation has been trying to get n
foothoid for commercial and naval
purposes in Eastern waters-Ger.
many, England, France and Russia.
Only Gate to the East.
Suppose we should dispose of the
Philippines and Japan should acquire
them. See how the Islands stretch
along the coast. Here are the ia.
panesc islands of Formosa. which Ia.
pan owns, ana then comes the philiD.
pines. If Japan had them. she would
command every gateway to the Orien,
ana the United States would be com
pletely shut out Every one comedies
that the Orient is the future great
Held for the principal commerce ma
ton of the world. We ought TO he
the leaders, but we must at least
have Il share in the enterprise. and
in order to do so we must maintain
the positions we have occupied
through force of circumstances in
that region
am talking now of the purely
commercial phase of the question. and
think 1t is plain that we must have
commercial base of operation such
MS Manila furnishes. and then. In
order TO protect our commerce we
must have naval base. and ut Suhig
Bay such h0se is now being de-
vcloped.
Congress Recognizes Needs.
Congress has recognized our needs
In the Philippines and has appro-
priated literally for terrifying the is.
lands. Modern guns are being
mounted. large dry dock has been
located i'll Snbig. troops are stationed
in the island of Luzon. and in every
way Congress has shown its desire
to protect the islands from foreign
aggression and also to establish a
base for possible military operations.
ut has been frequently said thai
the United States has assumed re-
sponsibilities in the Philippines which
it cannot pass over to other hands.
II do not care 10 discuss this phase
of the situation except 10 say that
] believe the American people will
never shrink from such Responsible
ties as were assumed for them when
the United States took over the Philip
pines.
Must Have Base of Operation.
81 want to emphasize my belief that
the United States as n world power
will always have commercial and
diplomatic interest in the Far East
and cannot maintain itself properly
without base of operations. The
United States cannot withdraw from
its present enterprise in the East, but
must go forward seeing its share ol
the advantage and sustaining Its
share of the responsibilities"