Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-24
HOLD THE PHILIPPINES.
Great Naval Captain Speaks With
Wisdom Of q Merchant Statesman.

Admiral Dewey, says Washington
dispatch, strongly resents the PROPOSE
tion that has been discussed in more
or less academic manner to surrender
the Philippines, which, Of all men, he
was a leading factor in bringing under
the American flag. In an interview
today the admiral set out clearly the
reasons which impel him to insist up
on the retention Of the islands. Sim
gularly enough, in view Of the fact
that the admiral Is a man of war by
trade, the strong point Of his argu-
ment 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 prom
ise of commercial expansion. The ad-
miral says:
Abandon the Philippines! I don't
believe our country will ever do that
certainly 1t should not because 1t has
altogether too much at stake. 1t Is
only our control over the Philippines
that makes II possible for us to insist
upon the open door in the east, toward
which our diplomacy has been direct
ed for a number Of years. We want
our share of the enormous commerce
Of the east and we cannot 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 a great COM
mercial and naval base. That base
can be just as useful to us CONNER
cially as 1t was to Spain. For the past
ten years every strong European ma
ton has been trying to get a foothold
for commercial and naval purposes In
eastern waters-Germany, England,
France and Russia. Through the
forces Of war the United States OBJ
tanned. rightfully and without chican-
cry, the best and most strategic posi-
ton possible, giving us superior naval
and commercial advantages over other other
nations. What sort Of common sense
would it be for us to give up such a
position?
Suppose we should dispose Of the
Philippines and Japan should acquire
them. See how the islands stretch
along the coast. Here are the Japan
ese islands, here Is Formosa which Ja-
pan owns, and then come the Philip
pines. II Japan had them, she would
command every gateway to the Orient
and the United States would be COM
pletely shut out.
Every one comedies that the Orient
is the future great field Tor the princi-
nal commercial nations Of the world.
We ought to be the leaders, but we
must at least have a share in the en-
terprise and In order to do so we must
maintain the positions we have occu-
MED through force Of circumstances In
that region. I am talking now of the
purely commercial phase OF the ques-
ton and l think 1t Is plain that we
must have a commercial base OF OPP
Grafton such as Manila furnishes. And
then, in order to protect our commerce,
we must have a 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 fortifying
the islands. Modern guns are being
mounted a large dry dock has been
located in Subig Bay, troops are sta
toned in the island Of LuZon and In
every way congress has shown its de-
sire to protect the islands from foreign
aggression and also to establish base
for possible military operations. "a
1T has been frequently said that the
United States has assumed responsi-
bilities in the Philippines which 1t
cannot pass over to other hands. / DO
not care 10 DISCUSS tlliS DHdoo VI sho
situation. except to saw that believe
| the American people Will never shrink
from such RESPONSIBILITIES as were as
sumed for them when the United
States took over the Philippines.
"I want to emphasize my belief that
| the United States as world power
will always have commercial and dip
lomatic interests in the far east and
cannot maintain itself pronerlv with
out a base Of onerations. The United
States cannot withdraw from its pres
ent enterprise in the east. but must
go forward seeking its share Of the
advantages and sustaining its share OF
the responsibilities"