The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-07-02
SHOULD GET RID or THE
PHILIPPINES.

honor. l have thought that the
islands would be better under the
control. of Japan but if that ar
ransement cannot be made without
doing the native inhabitants OF the
islands aa injustice then L wouia
arrange to set up an independent
government ia the islands and turn
them loose.
There are a number OF reasons
why am IN favor of this. Ihis
government is pledged TO the Monroe
doctrine, which In brief is that we
will not permit tho government OF
the old world to come over here
and BET up their governments on the
western hemisphere. We have
assumed a protecterate over all the
republics of South America and
onoc or twice have nearly gotten
into trouble ON account OF that
doctrine. If We are right how can
we consistently undertake to main
tain a government over colony In
the ORIENT
If history proves anything 1t
proves that we can never make a
success o. the government of the
Philippines. They lie within the
ltorrid zone. We live In the north
temperate zone. The people OF the
temperate zone never have and
never will migrate In auy consider
able numbees to tho tropics. If we
should hold the Philippine islands
for a hradoed years practically all
the Americans who will be there
will be those who have gone there
to hold government positions. The
islands have vast natuual resources,
but while we have already held
them for &C years American capital
and American labor has not gone
there to dcyelop the country and il
the sxpezisnce of history proves
anything it proves thrt they never
will 60 there.
The islands will be constant
source of expense and danger to US.
They have already coct as hundreds
of millions of dellare. Sooner or
later they will involve US in a
foreiga wat which will be appalling
in its cost Of life and Measure.
Not long ago, according to the
word of no Tess a man than General
Fred Funston, the ,euthorities at
Washington were greatly alarmed
over the prospect of foreign war.
He did net say with whom, but
every one saows that the only
foreign country we were likely to
get into troabk with was Japan. 1t
has been less than Is months since
Roosevelt sent two or three urgent
messages TO the governor of Call
fornia beseechiRg him to use his
power as a governor to prevent the
passage of the nti-Japanese school
aaw. He believed that the passage
of the law meant trouble with Japan.
Suppose wa had not been loaded up
with those iaauds, is there any man
who thinks for moRaent that the
president of tho United States would
have taken such a deep interest In
the matter of 4 school law in
California;
In order to be prepared 10 ueIehu
the Philippine islands we must build
an enormous army and navy.
Already we are spending 27o million
dollars per snnum on the army and
navy. Ia order to be prepared to
defend the islands we must multiply
that expense by four. l am unalter-
ably opposed to laying any such
burden on the backs of the people
of this country. Sooner or later If
we keep those islands Kansas
mothers will be called on to send
their boys to fight on those troPic
islands to keep a territory that we
do not want aud to retain
,soyereignty over a people who have
- ,.. ,r our Institutions /