The Washington herald., 1908-01-28
Our Philippine Problem.


Secretary Tafts comprehensive report
on the Philippines sets forth policy
respecting the political future of the
islands which this government has con-
sistenty pursued nee President McKin-
ley laid down its basic principles in his
instructions TO the original Philippine
Commission. That policy contemplates
the establishment as rapidly as possible
of popular government modelled on the
lines Of Occidental institutions. and the
ultimate grant Of independence whenever
the Filipinos are Mt for self-government.
provided the people desire independence.
The principal steps now being taken to
ward this end are the education OF the
natives in common language and mode
Of political thought, and their political
training by the actual conduct of such
governmental Institutions as they are ca
pable of maintaining. This altruistic DO
iitical experiment Mr.. Taft believes to be
wholly successful, so far as it has been
carried out 1t has worked, as Mr.. Taft
says. Undoubtedly it has worked better
than immediate independence would have
done, for that would have involved oil
garchic rule, "A system of government di-
rectly opposed, as Mr. Taft points out.
20 American ideals, as we'll as to the
spirit Of the policy originated by Presi-
dent Mckinley.
With Secretary TafCs judgment that
the gradual development OF this policy
promises better results than the turning
over OF the islands at once TO the small
element of the population capable of
carrying on a government We are dis
posed TO agree, especially in view OF the
downfall of the Cuban government and
the necessity imposed upon us by that
event Of recOnstructing the Cuban politi-
cal fabric from the bottom up The ad-
Feeates Of immediate independence, as
Mr. Taft shows, are really inimlcaI 10 the
development of popular government as
we know it, for they confessediY ex-
pect that the Philippine Islands would be
ruled by 10 per cent of the inhabitants.
with the remainder as docile and ignorant
subjects. The opportunity which such a
government would give for oppression of
the subject classes and the excuse for
perennial revolution afforded by such on
preston are sufficiently obvious. Our
object should be to evolve a stable PhiliD-
pine government, if that be possible. con
sidering the raw material out Of which
it must be evolved. That it is possible
the optimistic Taft feels toIerably sure.
but every one viii agree with him that
a full generation or more must elapse
before the diverse clinical elements of
the archipelago are fused into a homoge-
neous nationality capable OF co-o-dinated
political action.
The real Philippine question, however.
grows out Of the relation Of the Pbflip-
pines 70 the Orient and the part they are
playing or may be destined TO play. in
the unfolding Of the future OF the mvs-
terious East and In the development of
American naval policy What has direct
ed the attention Of thoughtful Americans
TO the extraordinary character of the
Philippine adventure is the military weak
ness OF what Mr. Taft calls our Oriental
outpost" and the necessity arising there
from Of the expenditure Of immense sums
in its fortifcation and in the building
and maintenance OF a great navy for its
defense. Because Of the real or imaginary
peril in which our Oriental outpost is
placed by the rise of Japan as a sea
power we have revolutionized our naval
policy and entered upon a programme of
naval construction which viii ultimately
double the size of our navy.
This is what the ownership of the
Philippines means to us as a nation. and
the mere matter Of governing the islands
or fitting their inhabitants for a political
future conforming to our ideals pales into
insignihcance beside the larger question
whether We ought 10 remain an Oriental
power and pay the immense price that
luxury entails. If we cannot withdraw
from the Philippines within the next
generation. we ought to be able to reach
such an understanding with other powers
respecting their future as viii minimize
the military and naval forces required for
their protection from possible aggression
or conquest.