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March 18, 1899:1
感者
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
215
WilY ENGLISHMEN ARE DISLIKED
the slaughter-houses to the Sanitary | at, but in the meantime the action of the perhaps even more capable than most of ie Board upon
the expiration of the present Senate may be taken as indicative of a them. Their subjugation by the United States lense to the farmer." To this the reply strong feeling in the country against a is certainly not called for on any grounds. given was that: The Government does policy of foreign conquest. The pursuit of of humanity, and as to commercial cousi-. "not consider it advisable at present to such a policy would necessitate the mainten-derations the probability is that the natives. 'make any alteration in the management of ance of a large standing army, whereas the would work for the development of their the slaughter-houses." Mr. WHITEHEAD's Senate is of opinion that the military forces country as energetically and as intelligently. question called for a statement of the grounds should within a brief period be again reduced as the Japanese have done for the develop of the Government's refusal to put an end to the small figure of 27,000. It would take ment of Japan. If the world is not pre- tthe farming system, and the Government an army of larger dimensions than that to pared to take the native Government al- returns a woman's answer. that it won't be permanently boid the Philippines, and it together on trust, however, the establish cause it won't. The arguments against the would appear, therefore, that the Senate ment of an American protectorate would continuance of the present system were fully does not favour the forcible imposition of afford an ample guarantee against any pos set out at the meeting of the Sanitary Board American rule on the inhabitants of those sible excesses.. From the point of view of held on the 2nd February and the case ap-islauds, pears full and complete. Had any answer
international politics, the establishment of a second Japan in the Far East is not an un- been possible it is to be assumed that it
desirable thing, for it would help to main- would have been given in reply to Mr.
tain the balance of power and to check the WHITEHEAD's question on Monday. Being
policy of selfish aggrandisement favoured by unable to give an auswer the Government
some of the Powers. makes an attempt to evade the question by a mere expression of opinion that the course recommended by the Sanitary Board is in- advisable. No reason can be assigned for the inadvisability, at least no reason that can be publicly avowed. Prima facie an honest administration of the slaughter-houses by the Sanitary Board must necessarily be more advisable than the continuance of a farming system that has been proved to be attended with grave abuses, and when the Government expresses its preference for the latter but is unable to state its reasons we are driven to the unwelcome conclusion that the reasons are such as will not bear the light of day. Our own surmise as to those reasons is that they are connected with the jealousy the Government entertains towards the Sanitary Board and that rather than give any additional powers to that body the Government elects to let the food supply of the colony suffer. An alteration in the management of the slaughter-houses would certainly be advisable in the public interests, but it may not be advisable in the political interests of the party that wishes to dis- establish the Sanitary Board altogether. It is only in that sense that the answer given to Mr. WHITEHEAD's question can be said to have any true ring about it.
•
One of the reasons urged in favour of the United States subjugating the Philippines and establishing American govereignty is that if the islands were left under native administration they would fall a prey to some grasping European Power. Seeing how hard a task the United States are find- ing the conquest the danger of any other Power attempting to take the islands must now be considered more remote than the
(Daily Press, 16th March.)
it. The Americans have a large army in FRANCIS on the strength and weakness of world has been hitherto inclined to regard delivered by Colonel ELSDALE and Mr. In connection with the lectures recently
the field, but neither at Manila por at the empire the question has been raised: far beyond the range of the guns of the Colonel ELSDALE tells us it is because we Iloilo do they find it prudent to advance why do other natious dislike the English ? men-of-war, and this although the Filipinos are the most vulgar people in the world, have practically no artillery and their while Mr. FRANCIS assures us that we nie supply of rifles is limited. The native not more vulgar than others and that army as it exists to-day, although labouring it is our arrogance and national self-com- under disadvantages as regards the obtain-placency, not our vulgarity, that excite the ing of supplies and opportunities of scientific hatred of other nations, Mr. FRANCIS comes training, is in fact a passably efficient fight-nearer the mark, we think, than Colonel ing machine, and if the free import of ELSDALE, but there is a reason not mention- warlike material were permitted it would noted by either of them that is perhaps the be long before it ranked with the army of most potent cause of the feeling alluded to. Japan in point of quality, though probably Other nations think we are hypocritical not of numbers, for Japan has a population hun bugs, always making a parade of our three or four times as great as the Philip-religion and philanthropy and always taking pines. It would also not be long before a unvy was brought into existence. No for-worldly advantages. The feeling of the care that our nesumed virtues bring us solid eigu Power would find the conquest of the Continental nations towards England re- islands a even
very easy task therefore, sembles in kind that entertained by the if the forces States were withdrawn altogether. The civil disturbances, and Englishmen in turn of the United Royalists for the Puritans in the time of our Filipinos, however, are, it is understood, credit the Continental nations with the ready to accept an American protectorate, levity and want of principle that the and if foreign aggression is the principal Puritans were accustomed to ascribe to thing to be guarded against that could very the Royalists. The latter were not all roys well be done by means of the fleet, since tering libertines nor were the Puritans all any attacking force would necessarily have hypocrites, but the antagonistic character to approach by sea.
istics of the two parties caused them to paint each other in the blackest colours,
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From the replies given to the other questions of Mr. WHITEHEAD it will have been learned with some surprise that the Governor has received no instructions to deal with the reconstitution of the Sanitary Board. Possibly, however, His Excellency may have been asked by the Secretary of State to make a report on the subject. If self-government, the experience gained dur-though from opposite points of view.
As to the capacity of the Filipinos for so we hope His Excellency will endeavouring the past twelve months is reassur- to arrive at an impartial and indepen- dent opinion
and that he will not favour the undivided responsibility ad vocated by Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, which is a mere euphemism for official irrespon- sibility.
THE UNITED STATES AND THE PILIPPINES.
(Daily Press. 11th March.)
ing.
"
General Whittier,
who
went served there as Collector until the end of to Manila with General MERRITT and October, in a recent newspaper interview said There is a wide ignorance of the "wealth of the Philippines and the charac ter of the Filipinos. The natives are not ignorant; they are not savages. They are adept at manufactures and as ne- countants, mariners, and railroad opera- "tives. They are quiet, most temperate, "and have shown great ability in their
military affairs." have added that they have also shown great The General might ability in their civil affairs, for during the critical period through which the country has been passing there has never been any approach to anarchy, the Spaniards who have been taken prisoner have been treated with humanity, and the conduct of the native administration generally has been such as to earn the respect of the for- eign residents in the country.
There
The fact that the United States Senate has refused to sauction any permanent increase to the United States Army would seem to indicate that the policy of colonial expan- sion is not regarded with favour. In the telegram reprinted in yesterday's issue from the Manila Times we are told that the Army Bill as passed by the Senate pro- vides that the army is only to be increased to 46,000, instead of 100,000, and even this increase is only for a short while; in July, 1901, the army is to be reduced to 27,000, the figure at which it stood before. the war with Spain. The Bill as thus amended will is have to be sent back to the House of Re-Filipinos il granted autonomy would not to anticipate that the presentatives, and possibly it may be some prove themselves as capable of self-govern- time before a final settlement is arrived ́ment as the South American Republics, and
до reason
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The feeling with which England is re garded by our friends across the channel is poraries the other day quoted the following no new thing. One of our Tonkin contem- passage from the "Memoires de Sully ":-
It is certain that the English hate us, and "with a hatred so strong and so widespread "that one would almost be inclized to class "it amongst the natural instincts of the people, but it is rather the result of their pride and presumption, for there are no people in Europe more haughty, more "disdainful, more intoxiented with the idea "of their own excellence. In their own "view understanding and reason are to "be found only amongst themselves; they “adore all their own opinions and despise "those of all other nations; and it never occurs to them to pay attention to others or to doubt themselves. For the rest, they harm themselves much more by this "character than they harm us; they
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might say
“ they have contracted all its instability; everything changes with them according to their disposition at the non ént and the only difference between them and the
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