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THE BRITISH ARMY.
[October 21, 1905. departure from established custom and babit" Let me remind them that no important step in the onward march of the American ration somewhere besitating as to its expediency or has been taken without someone, sometime, doubting as to its wisdom. Let me remind them that since our country took her place among the nations of the earth her record has not been one of failure, but success, and that as every problem vitally affecting her own people has been properly solved it is only fair to efforts in behalf of the people of the Philippines. presume that the same success will attend her For every true American, it is no longer ■ question of whether one policy or another was best adapted to the case. The prestige of the country is now wedded beyond the power of divorce to the policy to which it stands irre trievably committed, and every American, whether he be soldier or civiian, will see
to it that the making of a new people capable and able to govern themselves is not beyond the powers of the American Republic."
It is not, of course, entirely out of pure philanthropy, or for the gratification of a wish to teach the world something new in colonial administration that America continues to spend millions of dollars every year on public works, and on the education of the natives. Great hopes have been built
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
to discount their warnings too lightly. It is astonishing that so able a soldier and (Daily Press, 16th October).
so tried a public servant as LORD ROBERTS If the motto of the British navy is "ready should find it difficult to make an impression aye ready," it may, without unduly stretch-upon the British public, but such unfor- ing a point be fairly said that that of the tunately seems to be the case, as he has ever British Army ought to be "unready, ever since the last war raised his voice against unready." For some unaccountable reason the false security in which we have been there seems to be au inherent dislike on the content to go on. He appears at last to part of the British public to anything in have attracted some attention by two power the direction of an adequate or efficient army. ful speeches which he made on the subject Whenever difficulties arise, there is the
-one in the House of Lords and the other same hurrying and scurrying to set the at the Mansion House. In the former he nation's house in order; and to manage by did not hesitate to state that the country some supreme effort to get over effects of had forgotten the lessons of the war in the most palpable negligence during the South Africa and that it was as unprepared time of peace which should have been the for war now as it was at the outbreak of opportunity for doing at leisure and tho hostilities then. Coming from such a roughly what has to be done hurriedly and source this warning could hardly be passed inefficiently at almost a moment's notice by and it is to be hoped that they may have when difficulties overtake us. It must be the effect of at last causing some practical conlessed that, when an emergency arises, an steps to be taken. The nation has managed amount of resourcefuluess is generally dis- to scrape out of difficulties so often that played which might hardly be expected on sanguine persons hope it will always be able the part of those who had before been to do so. But the probabilities are, of course, negligent of what might appear to be the really all the other way, especially in these most ordinary precautions; and that some days of rapid communication, which result how the necessary forces have been forth-in war being begun as soon as it is declared.
on the commercial value of the islands to coming and the difficulty got over. In The time during which steps can be taken America, but such has been the experience most cases, however, this has been due to put things right on an emergency actually of American business men who have come more to good fortune than to the efforts, arising will become less and less as means
out to the islands that the gospel of hope however energetic, that are made when the of transport are improved; and the danger needs a lot of preaching just now. While enemy is actually knocking at the gates. of being unprepared at a given moment politically the situation has improved Then there follows a large amount of must be proportionately increased. The
immensely in the space of three or four general criticism and possibly some little nation has, therefore, to be absolutely pre- years, the same can hardly be said of com- stir in the stagnant waters of the War pared for emergencies, not only at home but
merce. But, "hope, springs eternal in the in many directions abroad, and it will not do human breast," the poet tells us. in these days to put off necessary precaution American who stays out here will win out," till the last moment. LORD ROBERTS' author says one of Manila's newspapers.
Commer- ity ought, surely, to be sufficient to impress cial conditions, it is confessed, are at low this upon the nation; but past experience tide, but this, according to the newspaper, hardly warrants us being too sanguine on
only means a chance to get in on the subject. There is a feeling that after all the ground floor, and take advantage the danger may possibly never arise, and of the rise when it comes, as it certainly that it is idle to anticipate trouble.
But will with the new railroads, developed those who are inclined to think in this way agriculture and revised tariff conditions." may well lay to heart a saying
But for the present evidently the only LORD PALMERSTON's that precautions never thing to say to the disappointed American appear so unnecessary as when they are in the Philippines 18 "Hope on!" entirely successful. If we take care that The cry of the merchant in the Philippines invasion will be futile, the likelihood is that is for tariff protection and free trade with none will ever be attempted; but it does the United States; but the appeal does not not follow that an attempt might not be command a great deal of support or made if such precautions are known to sympathy at home. There are sugar and continue neglected.
on
Office, but nothing definite is done, and the next emergency finds us in practically the same position as the last. What the great objection is on the part of the British nation to make itself as efficient land as at sea, it is difficult to say. There is, of course, the historic objection on the part of Britishere to a standing army as being a menace to liberty, which comes down to us from the days of the Stuarts. This, however, may be taken to have but a slight practical influence in the present day, when constitutional principles are so well established that a danger of this description is of a remote kind. Still, there is a lurking feeling in this direction against anything in the form of militarism, which no doubt has its influence in conjunction with other and more immediate considerations. Then there is also a feeling, unexpressed but none the less effective, that to lean upon the Army too much is to admit a want o, confidence in the Navy, as an absolute security against any possible danger to the country. This string bas been harped upon pretty strongly of late, and Mr. BALFOUR has shown par raison demonstrative that an invasion of Great Britain is an absolute impossibility. Mr. GLADSTONE was equally successful with his "silver streak," which was the safeguard of the country against all possible danger and a standing reason for cutting down the Army estimates. Unfortunately, however, for this comfort- able view of the subject the best military authorities are against it, and have over and over again raised a warning voice, the neressity for which it is to be feared may be recognised when it is too late. It is, that the of course, not to be denied views of military men on such a subject have to be accepted with a certain amount of caution. People naturally have a tendency to over-estimate the im- portance of their particular professions, and military men may be as much subjected to this infirmity of human nature as any other persons. But against this, it must not be overlooked that the military are the only authorities upon whom we can rely, and the subject is far too serious to permit us
+
paper,
THE PHILIPPINES.
of
(Daily Press, 17th October.) "A little reflection," observes a Manila is an excellent antidote for the wail of woe that is so frequently heard concerning the condition of Philippine affairs generally."
This was written a propos a lecture delivered by General SMITH ON The Days of the Empire," in in the Philippine Islands from the com which he reviewed the progress of events
mencement of the war with Spain until now when "the days of the Empire" have passed away, and civil government has been established, giving to the Filipino people a voice in their own local affairs which they country has entered upon the experiment never onjoyed before and “our common
of unselfishly aiding, advancing and better. It is an ing the people of an alien race. experiment which has never been tried before-by the same methods-and the GENERAL told his audience that even some good Americans hesitate and doubt its expediency.
General
<
"
"The
tobacco interests in the United States as well as in the Philippines, and it is the men on the spot who have the ear of Congress. Senator PAYNE, who is working for the Philippine merchants in Congress, has recently uttered in his despair the remark that the reform of the tariff conditions in the Philippines must be worked by the business men of the islands, "The business man of the islands is overworked,” says one Manila newspaper, "What has the business man not done to establish better trade rela- tions and readjust the tariff?" asks another, and replies to the question by saying: "He has petitioned and argued and written and demonstrated till he has covered the whole tariff wall.” field, and we are still on the outside of the we are told, is for men like SENAtor Payne The greatest need of the day,
alarm of the home producers and the needs who will unders: and "the absurdity of the
of our young commerce over here."
On the 15th October a collision between two electric trams took place on the Shankiwan road. Apparently the driver in charge of a car had omitted to make the usual tests of the brakes before leaving the depot that morning, with the result that the car failed to stop at one of the loops and crashed into the other car before it left the single line. The front of the one tram and the rear of the other were smashed, and the passengers had to leave each
Let me remind them all" exclaimed the that when the American Re- public, the greatest republic of modern or ancient times, was founded, the same prophets of evil stood at its cradle and predicted that no good could follow from such a radical'conveyance.