New-York tribune., 1908-12-09

a
ocean mail lines 70 South Amer
Ocean Mail lea Asia the PhiippiHes ard
Lines Australasia may be sstaoiisned-
The c-eatiOn OF such steamship
lines should be the tursl cOTOary Of the voyage
Of the battle feet. II should preCeds the opening
Of the Panama Canal Even under favorable con-
ditiOus several years must elapse before such
lines can be put into operation Accordingly. I
urge that the Congress act promptly Whers
foresight already shows that action sooner or
later viii be inevitable
call particular attention 20 the territory os
Hawaii The importance OF those Islands IS ap-
parent and the need Of improv-
II Hawaii. ing their condition and Develop
ing their resources is urgent In
recent years Industrial conditions upon ms
islands have radically changed The iUporta-
tiOD Of coojie labor has practically ceased and
there IS now developing sUCh a diversity IN sgri-
cultural products TO make possible a ChanSs
IN the land conditions OF the territory. 30 thar
opportunity may be given 20 the small land
owner similar TO that on the mainland To aid
these changes the national government must
provide the necessary haTbO- Improvements Oh
can be carried to the markets or the world Ih4
COastwtse shipping laws should BE- amended 20
meet the special needs OF the Islands and the
alien contract "a DOR law should be 80 modified IN
its application 70 Hawaii "a 20 enable American
and European labor 70 be brought thither-
We have begun TO improve Pearl Harbor for
tary fOrtihcatiOus for the protection of ths
islands, but I cannot too strongly emphasize
the need or appropriations for these purposes %
such an amount as VIII within the snorIes1 pos
sible time make those islands practically I'M
pregnahle II IS useless 70 develop the industrial
conditions Of the Islands ana esLaollsn Lilst7
bases OF supply for our naval and merchant
fleets unless insure. as far as human n
genuity can. their safety from foreign seizuTe
One thing 10 be remembered with all our for
tffcations is that IL is almost useless 20 r1aks
them imp-eguabe from the sea II they are lefS
open 10 land attack This IS true even OF our
own coast but IL is dOubly true OF our insular
possessions. In Hawaii. for instance, IL II vorsa
than useless 20 establish a naval station unless
We establish IL behind fortifcstions 50 strong
that no landing force can take them save oy reg
ular and long continued siege operations
Real progress toward self government IS being
made in the Philippine Islands The gathering
OF a Philippine legislative body
The and Philippine Assembly marks
Philippines q process absolutely new IN
Asia not only as regards Ash
attic colonies Of European powers but as regards
indeed, always excepting the striking and Vou-
derfuI example afforded by the great empire OF
Japan. II opens an entirely new departure When
compared with anything which has happeneG
among Asatc powers which are their own
masters Hitherto this Philippine Legislatures
has acted with moderation and selS-rescrainr.
and has seemed in practical fashion 70 rsalizs
the eternal truth that there must always bS
government, and that the only way n which
any body OF individuals can escape the neces-
sity Of being governed BY outsiders Is 20 snow
that they are able 70 restrain themselves. tn
keep down wrongdotng and disorder. The III
pino people. through their officials. are therssors
making real steps in Lhe direction oc Self-goT-
eminent I hope and believe thar these steps
mark the beginning or course which VIII con-
tinue till the Fflipiuos become # . decide for
themselves whether they desire 20 be an inds-
pendent nation But II Is well for them (and
well also for those Americans who during the
last decade have done 50 much damage 70 tbs
FLipinos By agitation for an t1lmedtaLs tnde-
pendence for which they were totally unfit, 70
remember that self government depends. and
must depend upon the FlipinOs themselves. AL
we do is 70 give them the opportunity 70
develop the capacity for self government L rs
had followed the advice OF the foolish doctrfn-
ten years 70 turn the Filipino people adrtr-
should have shirzed the pIainest possible duty
and have inflicted a lasting wrong upon the
Filipino people We rave acted IN exactly ThS
opposite spirit. We have given the FiIfpinos
constitutional government government based
upon justice, and We have shown that We have
governed them for their good and not for our
aggrandizeneut- AT the present tine. as during
the last ten years. the tnexordble logic OF facts
shows that this government must be supplied
by Us and not BY them We must be wise and
generous We must help the Ffuptnos 10 master
the difficult art OF self-controI which is simply
another name for government but
cannot give them self-goverunenr save n the
sense Of governing them that gradually they
may. II they are able. learn to govern themselves
Under the present system OF Just laws and syn
pathetic administration. we have every reason
TO believe that they are aduaIIv acquiring the
character which lies at the basis OF seIf-Eovern-
nent and for which. Il II be lacking. no system
OF laws, no paper constitution viii IN any wise
serve substitute Our people IN the Philip
pines have achieved what may Iegitiuately b
called marvellous success IN giving 70 them
government which marks the part or those
in authority both the necessary understanding
Of the people and TIE necessary PURPOSE 70
thar, I+sF--a-aS-z=ry- soC<5
trust that within a generation the tine win
arrive when the Philippines can decide for
themselves whether + Is well for them 70 bAcozs
70 continue under the prot4c-
ton OF q strong and distntsresrsd power able 20
TO the Islands order az home and pro
lection from foreign invasion But one can
0roDhesy the exact date when Il vii bs wise 70
consider Independence as a fixed and definite
policy Il would be worse thAn folly 20 trT to
set down such \ date IN advance, for II must
depend upon the way II which the Phfnppins
people themselves develop the power OF SELF
mastery
I again recommend that Arner1-
Porto Rice can citizenship Be conferred
upon the people OF Porto Rico
In Cuba our occupancy will cease n abous
TWO months time; the Cubans have IN orderly
manner elected their own gov
Cuba ernnentaI authorities, and tbs
island viii be turned over 70
hem Our occupation on this occasion ha8
hrfven and pr0spered under II Our earnest Eope
md one desire IS that the people OF tbs Island
hau now govern themselves with Tuscice. 50 Chze
peace and order may be secure We viii gladly
warn them 20 remember the great truth that The
'nly way people can permanently avoid being
governed from without IS 70 show that they both
an and viii govern themselves from within
The Japanese government has postponed unta
915 the date OF the great International sxpcsi-
ton. the action being taken 50
japanese as 70 insure ample time IN which
70 prepare TO make the exoosi-
tion all that il should be made
The American commissioners have visited Japsu
md the pOstponemenr VIII merely give ampls-
for America TO be represented at the
exposition Not since the first International ex-
position has there been % greater f-nror-
ance than this viii be, marking II does tbs
lTLeth anniversary or the ascension 70 Lhs
hTOne OF the Emperor OF Japan. The sxrraor-
iinary leap 10 a foremost place among the na-
ions Of the world made by Japan during this
laf century Is something unparalleled IN all
PREVIOUS history This exposition will itIv com
nemorate and signalizA the giant progress that