Dewey’s Protest.
September 28, 1907
Summary
The Planet disagrees with Admiral Dewey’s thoughts of surrendering the Philippines. Support being Spain dominated commerce while Spain had control of the bay and harbor of Manila.
Transcription
Dewey’s Protest.
Washington, Sept. 23.-Admiral Dewey strongly resents the proposition that has been discussed in a more or less academic manner to surrender the Philippines, which of all men he was a leading factor in bringing under the American flag. In an interview the admiral sets out clearly the reasons which impel him to insist upon the retention of the islands. Singularly enough, in view of the fact that the admiral is a man of war by trade, the strong point of his argument is not based upon the military or naval importance of the archipelago, but almost altogether upon the great value, present and prospective, of the Philippines to America in the extension of our trade with the orient, which he regards as holding out the best promise of commercial expansion. The admiral says:
“Abandon the Philippines! I don’t believe our country will ever do that. Certainly it should note because it has altogether too much at stake. It is only our control over the Philippines that makes it possible for us to insist upon the open door in the east, toward which our diplomacy has been directed for a number of years. We want our share of the enormous commerce of the east, and we can’t keep the door open for it unless we hold the islands.
“Why did Spain for 200 years dominate the commerce of the orient? Just because she had the bay and harbor of Manila as a great commercial and naval base. That base can be just as useful to us commercially as it was to Spain. For the past ten years every strong European nation has been trying to get a foothold for commercial and naval purposes in eastern waters-Germany, England, France and Russia. Through the fortunate of war the United States obtained rightfully and without chicanery the best and most strategic position possible, giving us superior naval and commercial advantages over the other nations. What sort of common sense would it be for us to give up such a position?
“Suppose we should dispose of the Philippines and Japan should acquire them. See how the islands stretch along the coast. Here are the Japanese islands, here is Formosa, which, Japan owns, and then come the Philippines. If Japan had them she would command every gateway to the orient, and the United States would be completely shut out.
“Everyone concedes that the orient is the future great field for the principal commercial nations of the world. We ought to be the leaders, but we must at least have a share in the enterprise, and in order to do so we must maintain the position we have occupied through force of circumstances in that region.
“It has been frequently said that the United States has assumed responsibilities in the Philippines which it cannot pass over to other hands. I do not care to discuss this phase of the situation except to say that I believe the American people will never shrink from such responsibilities as were assumed for them when the United States took over the Philippines.”
Washington, Sept. 23.-Admiral Dewey strongly resents the proposition that has been discussed in a more or less academic manner to surrender the Philippines, which of all men he was a leading factor in bringing under the American flag. In an interview the admiral sets out clearly the reasons which impel him to insist upon the retention of the islands. Singularly enough, in view of the fact that the admiral is a man of war by trade, the strong point of his argument is not based upon the military or naval importance of the archipelago, but almost altogether upon the great value, present and prospective, of the Philippines to America in the extension of our trade with the orient, which he regards as holding out the best promise of commercial expansion. The admiral says:
“Abandon the Philippines! I don’t believe our country will ever do that. Certainly it should note because it has altogether too much at stake. It is only our control over the Philippines that makes it possible for us to insist upon the open door in the east, toward which our diplomacy has been directed for a number of years. We want our share of the enormous commerce of the east, and we can’t keep the door open for it unless we hold the islands.
“Why did Spain for 200 years dominate the commerce of the orient? Just because she had the bay and harbor of Manila as a great commercial and naval base. That base can be just as useful to us commercially as it was to Spain. For the past ten years every strong European nation has been trying to get a foothold for commercial and naval purposes in eastern waters-Germany, England, France and Russia. Through the fortunate of war the United States obtained rightfully and without chicanery the best and most strategic position possible, giving us superior naval and commercial advantages over the other nations. What sort of common sense would it be for us to give up such a position?
“Suppose we should dispose of the Philippines and Japan should acquire them. See how the islands stretch along the coast. Here are the Japanese islands, here is Formosa, which, Japan owns, and then come the Philippines. If Japan had them she would command every gateway to the orient, and the United States would be completely shut out.
“Everyone concedes that the orient is the future great field for the principal commercial nations of the world. We ought to be the leaders, but we must at least have a share in the enterprise, and in order to do so we must maintain the position we have occupied through force of circumstances in that region.
“It has been frequently said that the United States has assumed responsibilities in the Philippines which it cannot pass over to other hands. I do not care to discuss this phase of the situation except to say that I believe the American people will never shrink from such responsibilities as were assumed for them when the United States took over the Philippines.”
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Benton Camper
Citation
“Dewey’s Protest.,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed September 13, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/863.