Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-08-04
WOULD ABANDON
THE PHILIPPINES
International Isolation Advocated h,
Senator Lewis Before Bar of
North Carolina.
NAMES THE FOES OF OUR LAND
Predicts Alliance of European and
Asiatic States With South Amer
lea Unfriendiy.

China would sometime he arravad in
arms against the United States and
that this country could not look for
AID from England or, under conditions
IKE those at present, from South
American powers, was made last night
IN an address by Senator James Ham
lIton Lewis of Illinois, before the State
Bar Association of North Carolina. His
subject was America as the Interna-
tlOnal LaW-giver of the World Tomor-
row.
In preparation for such an eventual
lty, Senator Lewis proposed calling a
council of all the governments of
South America and then by alliance
make common cause for the protec-
ton Of republican form of government
IN the western hemisphere"
Declaring that Russia had a griev-
ance against this country in connec-
ton with the disruption of the COM
merclal treaty with Russia growing
out OF treatment of the Jews, and that
Russia and Germany, who have no
quarrel upon governmental principles
among themselves" would adjust their
Alliance Against c. S.
Then both Germany and Russia will
be bound together in a treaty with an
object OF dominating Asia from Siberia
eastward, and then, as joint enemies of
the United States they will be found
IN conjunction with Japan, who, now
an ally with Russia, will present to
US the attitude of one who has earned
the friendship of England and Russia in
turn for the aid Japan is giving these
countries by driving Germany out of
China. Germany with little love for
Japan, but with her grievance against
US, will be as cooperative with Japan
as Russia is today. Then with this
situation the concentrated allies will
seize the Philippines in retaliation for
our refusing equality OF citizenship to
the Japanese. Russia, as the ally of
Japan, would seize her former posses
sions, Alaska. To these will be found
China adding her weight, resenting the
grievance of exclusion of its people,
cooperation with Japan. South Amer
lea, with her aroused suspicious of our
objects in that zone, could afford us no
protection and from her we could ex-
pect none, for reasons of her attitude
of mind caused by misconception of
our purposes and drawn from the
events of taking the Panama canal and
other incidents. England, because of
her alliance with Japan could under
no circumstances render US aid, and
has no feeling toward US from which
we could expect any. But if England
could render us aid, you will
not overlook that England. if she dared
participate, would arouse Russia to
retaliation upon her Canadian posses
sions and Japan upon Hongkong in
China, and China upon the possessions
at Shanghai and Central China Thus
we see too many reasons for ever
dreaming of aid from any European
source"
The Philippine Mistake.
To show that these prophecies were
not improbable Senator Lewis cited
historical instances where nations for
merly beIligerents subsequently be-
came allies. Declaring that both Eng
land and Germany had abandoned
heretofore acknowledged principles of
international law and that for Amer
lea it is now plain that in any emery
ency involving her interests there is
no law of nations that can be relied
on for any benefit or advantage" Sen
ator Lewis led up to his predictions
by endeavoring to show that by retain
ing the Philippine Islands, the United
States had itself violated that prime
rule of international law-the depart
ure from her own zone and entering
that of another"
1T is the violation OF this principle
and its consequences which is today the
great danger of Americas republican
he said.
Previous to entering the Philippines,
he asserted, our right to deny the right
of Chinese and Japanese ito enter into
our civilization" was not disputed, but
thereafter it was natural that these
should turn to US and say that
by all the laws Of nations we must
give what we take and that as we had
come into Asia with our people they
had the right to come into America
with theirs This situation, he said,
was the real reason for President
action lin taking over the
Panama canal territory at time when
Japan had just emerged successfully
from her war with Russia"
"A moments view restores us to
sense of our real situation" he con-
cluded with South America SUSPECT
Gus of our methods, lest it mean con-
quest under the guise of the Monroe
doctrine; Mexico regarding us as dis
turbers and usurpers; we are at once
with enemies, not because
of their enmity, but because OF their
understanding Should conflict
arise in the orient from which it were
necessary to defend ourselves in Ash
attic spheres we can see that before
the Atlantic feet could pass through
the canal, the canal would be blown |
into atoms through the operation of
those nations now bordering it, who |
would cooperate with our enemies for
the qualification of real or imagined |
And all of this legiti- |
mate inheritance from the violation by |
ourselves of the fundamental interna- |
A.. IL LII 1,s-I