New-York tribune., 1916-02-07

,bopld necessarily have to do 50 either
,...b or without guarantees from otner
nations that the independence Of the
islands would be respected.
Rcverscs Century Old Policy.
Let us suppose that such guarantees
were secured. We should thus have
entered into a joint compact of neu-
tralIty with various European and ASH
ATTIC powers, including at least one
powcr which We now regard as having
grossly violated and rcpudiated o sim
liar guarantee OF neutrality in the
casc Of another state. The degree OF
dependence that could be placed upon
such guarantee would not, therefore,
be- nspiringly great.
Nearly Il century ago proposals were
made that the United states snouio
ioin with Great Britain and France IN
a tripartite guarantee Of Spanish SOW
ereignty in Cuba: but the United states
declined. and years afterward, when
the proposition was repeated, Daniel
Webster. then Secretary of state, again
declined il for the reason that tine
policv Of the United States has uni
formiv been 20 avoid, as far as possible,
alliances or agreements with other
states"
The proposal was also declined By
Edward Everett. Webster and Everett
have long been dead but it is not con
ceivable that the United States has re-
pudiated their spirit.
Once. indeed, and happily only once,
that wise and pradent policy has been
abandoned, and the results Of that act
of abandonment were disgraceful and
lit.le short Of disastrous, adding eN-
perience as an objection 10 an inter
national guarantee for the Philippines.
We did enter into such tripartIte
naturalization arrangement with Great
Britain and Germany IN respect 20
Samoa. The result was that we mar
rowly escaped war with one II not both
Of those powers. and we were led INTO
some Of the most disgraceful deeds
that have ever sulled the good name OF
this Republic.
Our participation" said President
Cleveland, was in plain defiance OF the
conservative teachings and warning,
Of the wise and patriotic men VINO ard
the foundations of our free lnstitu-
tions." And his Secretary OF state
added that our course had utterly faIied
70 correct, if indeed 1t had not aggra-
vated. the very evils which 1t was de
signed to prevent.
Abandons Islands to Rapacious Powers.
Second. then, suppose that we left
the Philippines without securing any
international guarantees, as the Sen
ate purposes that we shall do. We
should then be abandoning the Islands
70 the racapity of any power when
might covet them We have been told
a thousand times that this, that or
tho other power desires them. and IS
actually planning TO wrest them from
us. If any power is thinking OF try
ing 10 take them By force from the
United States, II certainly would not
wait long TO take them after they had
been relinquished By this country.
By such course we should place
ourselves In the piratical position OF
having wrested the islands from Spain
only 70 leave them derelict. to be the
prey of others; IN the incredibly stu
pid position Of having for many years
spent time and treasure and the life
blood of cur people IN the improve
ment of the islands, only 20 throw
them away for some one else 20 pick
up and 10 enjoy the fruits; in the in
human position Of having picked a
people out of the slough of despotism
and semi-barbarism and lifted their
civic elevation as the world had never
seen done before, and Of then having
showed them back into a still worse
slough of tyranny and anarchy. Is It
thus that the American nation is. in
the words Of the President. who is
now favoring this monstrous policy
to fulfil it's mission of unselhsh SER
vice 20 humanity?
Apart from the question Of guaran-
tees By other nations, however, there
is the question Of a guarantee or
protectorate by the United States
alone. II we should get out, il would
necessarily be either with or without
such Il guarantee.
Protect0rate Makes for Trouble.
If we retained such a protectorate
over the islands, we should be greatly