New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-28
Mr.. WILSON'S MANY BLUNDERS
Failures in His Policy on Preparedness,
Mexico and the Philippines.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: To the autocratic attitude of the
President of the United States in refusing to
follow the course of the leading govern
ments of the world in their recognition OF
President Huerto of Mexico and to his re-
fusal to listen to our able and accredited
representatives and countrymen who, by long
residence in Mexico, could truthfully testify
10 conditions there is due the deplorable
state now existing in that bleeding, unhappy
land The fractional fights and savage war
now wagng, the wholesale destruction OF
Irivate and public property, the murder OF
American citizens and the ruin of American
women may Justly be laid at his door.
Some day the murderous cataclysm now
raging in Europe will cease, and what will
be the condition existing then? II will find
most of the Continental nations hopelessly
wrecked financially and saddled with debts
many Of which will never be liquidated. II
will find America prosperous and in posses
sion of wealth beyond the dreams Of avarice,
but without a friend in the world. II Will
find Europe jealous Of our prosperity and
envious of our riches. Prosperity without
protection is a peril. Envy and jealousy arc
the most fruitful causes of war. Unless we
are prepared 20 resist unjust demands, war
will undoubtedly follow. The President and
Congress have already wasted most valuable
time by failing to make adequate prepare
ton for the preservation Of peace. Unless
this is done Immediately, our country will
certainly receive the treatment it will de
serve vivisection. with but little sympathy
for the patient under the scalpel Remember
Bismarck's significant reply when asked what
1. e Apna IA ha
"is fine fat hog; and when we're ready, we
will stick H."
If America proposes to play the part in
history its founders intended and destiny in
tends unless we follow the example of China
and submit to the war lords of Europe
must make immediate preparation for the
preservation of peace by the creation of an
adequate navy and some well-tried system
for an army, like that of Switzerland, which
has stood the test of three hundred years,
and preserved peace even through the SUI
preme danger of the present day.
The policy of "scuttle" for the Philippine
Islands is nothing less than criminal To
abandon them now, in the elementary stage
of their political and social development,
would be worse than the bounding of Huerta,
and would entail upon the islands condition
Of anarchy more terrible than now exists in
Mexico.
BY the same path must ye walk" is as true
to-day as il was 1000 years ago. The
continuity of history cannot be broken; a
reople cannot break with it's past; imme-
mortal heredity must be remembered. To
suppose that from the low bred Filipino there
could be evolved in a single generation one
worthy or competent 10 exercise self-govern-
ment is to ignore every law of social prog
ress and natural selection and 70 indulge in
the widest optimism
The Anglo-Saxon Of temperate cline has
required many centuries of natural selection
10 evolve from his sayagery. Is the Malay
savage so infinitely the intellectual and moral
superior of the Caucasian that he can emerge
from his late savagery into this sphere Of
civilization and attain this rich inheritance
in a single decade? Is this self-governing
ability (which is not yet oyerdeveloped
among ourselves. as the resident of any great
American city must confess to be hypodermi-
cally injected in concentrated essence into
the ignorant, treacherous, low-bred Filipino
by bullets. or prayer books, or schoolhouses,
in a generation, as to qualify him for
benefcent assimilation and sef-government?
The suggestion is prepOsterous.
I believe the most practical solution of the
Philippines problem is to allow them 20 follow
the course OF natural selection through the
importation Of the Chinaman. His exclusion
from these islands was diplomatic bunder,
comparable only with our treatment Of the
Japanese and Chinese on our Pacific Coast al
the instigation of the sand-ot orators, the
charlatan politicians and the yellow journal
Ism OF California. When | last in the
Philippines there were about 100000 Chinese
there who formed by far the most industrious
class OF the inhabitants.
The Chinese mestizo half Chinese and
hall Elipiael Is acknowledged to be superior