Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1913-11-21

cause our nation to pause ana
seek without delay some solu-
ton Of the problem; for our gov
eminent will either voluntarily
withdraw from the islands, or
the time will come when she will
be either foreibly expelled, or
will have to maintain her oc-
cupation by a naval superiority
that will be a terrible burden to
the taxpayers of the United
States. If our nation shall de-
termine to remain land God for
bid that she shall) then 1t be-
hooyes us to prepare rapidly to
maintain our possessions by force
of arms. if we would avert the
fast approaching conflict. And
also to consider the errors OF our
policy and methods of admlniS-
tration with a view to their cor
rection, uninfluenced by sentl-
mentality, and such nonsense as
benevolent Assimilation"
| The IMPERATIVE demand OF our
welfare and best interests is that
we get out of the islands, for
they can never be worth to us
the cost and sacrifice their pos
session will ultimately entail,
nor will the alleged blessings we
are showering on the Filipino be
a justification or compensation,
They are handicap to us in the
| policy we should pursue in the
| Orient in our own interest, and
hostage for our good behavior in
that part of the world. Our
yulnerability of attack there by
i the Japanese has been the occa-
sion of some Of the most dis
creditable incidents in our diplo.
matte history. For reasons too
numerous to recount here they
are going to cause war some
day between Japan and the
United States, in which Fill
pinos will be the allies of Japan,
/ FOR they hate us bitterly, and are
thoroughly imbued with the doc
trine, of which Japan is the
author and inspiration, Asia
for Asiatics.' The universal
and all pervading spirit and as
piration of Japan is for war With
America, and it would have come
before now but for the impover-
ished condition Of apan, grow
ing out of the Russian-Japanese
war, and the fact that she has
her hands full at the present time
in Corea and Formosa; but the
''Ides of March" for us will be
sometime before the completion
of the Panama Canal, unless for
reasons known only 20 Japan she
thinks the time not ripe or ex-
pedient.
The trade of the Orient is the
one great prize of the nations yet
remaining to be fought for and
won. We are destined to play a
conspicuous part in it whether
we will or no. The Philippines
can be neutralized, and we should
lose no time in seeking an agree
ment to that end with the leading
nations, so that we may be free
to build up our navy, fortify the
Hawaiian Islands (the key to the
control of the Pacific), and our
Pacific coast, and so be ready
wheu the great conflict comes.
At the present time we cannot
hold for any time. much less re-
tain, the Philippines in a war
with Japan. She can put 200,-
900 troops into the Islands within
two weeks, and has plans already
fully perfected for that purpose.
But if the islands should be taken
by Japan our national pride and
prestige as a power would compel
us to retake them, which would
mean the expenditure of billions
in treasure and numberless lives
of our citizens, or to take back
seat among the nations of the
earth.
AS to the policy and admins
tration to be pursued in the Phil
ippines, if we are to retain them
/, permanently, our first great mis-
take, to be corrected, was in ap-
plying to them our form OF
government, which we did upon
the false supposition that it must
be good and suitable to all other
peoples simply because we fiatter
ourselves that it has proved a
good and successful thing for us
It is, indeed, strange that our
statesmen, with the lights of
history before them, should think
that government can be ready
made for a people that will en-
dure, when time and experience
have demonstrated that all gov