THE PHILIPPINES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8408, 6 January 1899, Page 2

THE PHILIPPINES.

Thk Americans have their hands full with their new colonies, and it is probable that they may have to do a good deal of fighting in a climate that is utterly unsuiled to the health of their troops before they have subjugated the islands of the Philippine Group sufficiently to enable them to turn their new and valuable possessions to good account. At the same time, the administrators of die United States are being hampered by a strong movement that has arisen at home against the policy of territorial expansion. Thousands of people who gave their full concurrence to the war with Spain, are now drawing back from the logical consequences of that war, and would have America give up the countries that she has purchased at the cost of the war, and has before the nations undertaken to pacify and subjugate. The anti-Imporalists, as the new agitators cull themselves, are principally rabid Protectionists, merchants, and manufacturers. They stato that without distant possessions the Republic, solid, compact, safe from the zone of war disturbance, has captured the world's markets for many products, and only needs a continuance of peaceful conditions to have the industrial world at its feet. Their exports now exceed the exports of Great Britain. If the policy of the nation is adhered to there must be freetrade between all parts of the United States and the Philippines, but a high tariff between the other nations and the Philippines. But Britain, their best friend to-day, they recognise would not tolerate such a state of things. Britain will stipulate that there must be an "open door" in the Philippines, as in all their distant possessions. If the President opens the door he antagonises American labor and brings against him the selfish manufacturers who want exclusive trading rights. If lie shuts it Britain will not be on his side, he antagonises the whole of Europe, and has a war upon his hands to a certainty — this time no weak Spain to deal with, but the overwhelming naval power of Kurope. The position is an extremely interesting one to the people of Australasia, who may expect, if the open door policy is to prevail, to find an extensive market for many of their products when the Philippines have been Drought into peaceful settlement by the Americans.