Keep the Philippines

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 10, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 15.

Keep the Philippines

Keep the Philippines.—There are many statesmen in America who would vote with both hands for the giving up of the islands by the United States, believing their retention prolific of expense and trouble in the future as they have been in the past. Archbishop Harty, of Manila, has recently come to Washington, and the Western Watchman quotes him as saying that "it would be a burning disgrace for the United States to abandon the Philippines. I want to use that word. It would be a shame. Give me permission to state also as my decided opinion that the brightest page in American history will be that recording the operations of this government in the Philippines. My belief is that in time the Filipinos may turn Japan to Christianity. These Philippines are the pearl of the Orient. Just think—6,000,000 Christians in, we may say, the heart of Asia! Yes, and I do not feel I am optimistic, I believe that the Filipinos will finally convert the Japanese and the Japanese will in due time convert Asia." The archbishop, of course, wishes America to still act as the upholder of Catholicism in the far East, and for the Filipinos, the nearest neighbors of Japan, to be the representative United States Christians. It is profitable to the "Church" for America to retain the islands.