The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-09-23
DEWEY'S PROTEST
AGAINST GIVING
UP ISLANDS.
Hero Of Manila Bay Would
Hold Philippines.
TO EXTEND TRADE IN ORIENT
Nation Should Not Shrink From The
Responsibilities II Assumed When
ItTook islands.

WASHINGTON. Sept 23.-Admiral
Dewey strongly reseuts the proposition
that has been discussed In a more or
less academic manner 20 surrender the
Philippines. which Of all men he was
n leading factor IN bringing under the
American dag. In an Interview the
admiral sets out clearly the reasons
which impel him 60 insist upon the re-
tention OF the islands. SinRularly
enough In view OF the fact that the
admiral II man of war by trade.
the strong point OF his argument Is not
based upon the military OF naval I'm
portance of the archipelago. but al.
most altogether upon the great value,
present and prospective. Of the Philip
pines 10 America In the extension OF
our trade with the orient which he re.
CARDS ~ holding out the best promise
OF commercial expansion. The admiral
says:
Abandon the Philippinesl don't
believe our country will ever do that.
Certaibly II should not, because Il has
alioge her too much az stake II II
only our control over the Philippines
that makes II possible for us 60 insist
upon the open door In the east. toward
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 Il unless we hold the islands.
why did spain for 2OO years domi.
nate the commerce Of the orientI Just
because she had the bar aud harbor
OF Manila as a great commercial aud
naval base That base can b. Just A.
useful 20 Ms commercially as u was 90
Spain For the past ten years every
strong European nation has been try
lug 10 gct q fOOthold for commercial
aud naval purposes la eastern waters
Germany. England France and Illus.
sla Through the fortune u war the
United States obtained tghtfully aud
without chicanery the best aud most
strategic position possible. giving ne
superior naval aud commercial advan.
tages over the other nations What
sort Of common sense would u be for
Us 10 give up such a po.ltioni
Suppose we should dispose 81 the
Philippines aud japan should acquire
them. See how the Islands stretch
along the coast Here are the japanese
islands. here N Formosa. which Japan
owns. aud then come the Philippines.
II japan had them she would CON.
mand every gateway 10 the orient. aud
the aitcd states would b. completely
shut cut
Every one comedies that the orient
II the future great ncld for the prlncl.
pal commercial nations VI the world
We ought 10 ~ the leaders. but We
must at least have a share In the en-.
terpriss. aud la order 10 do 30 We must
maintain the position We have occu
pied through force u circumstances In
that Vglon I am talking now of the
purely commercial phase u the Quss.
tl0n aud | think Il IL plain that we
must have q commercial base % opcra.
tlOu. such NJ Ianila furnishes. Aud,
then, Ia order 10 protect our commerce
We must have a naval base. aud at
sublg bay such a base II now being
developed. Congress has recognized
our needs Ia the Philippines aud has
appropriated literally for terrifying
the islands Modern guns arr being
mounted. large dry dock has been
located la Sublg bay. troops ar. sta
toned la the island u LuEon. aud IN
every way congress has shown ita de
sire 10 protect the Islands FROM foreign
aggression aud also 90 establish n base
for possible military operations.
1T has bcsn frequently said that the
United States has ASSUMED respond
bilities Ia the Philippines whlth II can.
not pass over a. other hands I DO not
care 10 discuss this phase u the sltua
tlou except ~ say that ! believe the
American people will never shrink
FROM such responsibilities NJ were ~
sumed for them when the United
States took over the Philippines.
we cannot AFFORD a. turn over 10
the other nations ~ the world nll the
vast commerce ~ the east and restrict
ourselves 10 our own Pacific coast. The
annexation 81 Hawaii was In pursu.
ance ~ n policy u commercial cIpan
sion aud protection In the Pacific which
the statesmen of few years aga fore
saw as both inevitable aud advisable
for the United States We are fortu.
nate that what was acquired through
their wisdom has been supplemented
IN a legitimate aud honorable way by
the cessIon Of the Philippines TO our
country. and We should never let ~
the immense commercial advantages
We have thus secured"