The Strenuous Life n 



have our say in deciding the destiny of the oceans 

 of the East and the West. 



So much for the commercial side. From the 

 standpoint of international honor the argument is 

 even stronger. The guns that thundered off Manila 

 and Santiago left us echoes of glory, but they also 

 left us a legacy of duty. If we drove out a medieval 

 tyranny only to make room for savage anarchy, we 

 had better not have begun the task at all. It is 

 worse than idle to say that we have no duty to per 

 form, and can leave to their fates the islands we have 

 conquered. Such a course would be the course of 

 infamy. It would be followed at once by utter 

 chaos in the wretched islands themselves. Some 

 stronger, manlier power would have to step in and 

 do the work, and we would have shown ourselves 

 weaklings, unable to carry to successful completion 

 the labors that great and high-spirited nations are 

 eager to undertake. 



The work must be done; we can not escape our 

 responsibility ; and if we are worth our salt, we shall 

 be glad of the chance to do the work glad of the 

 chance to show ourselves equal to one of the great 

 tasks set modern civilization. But let us not de 

 ceive ourselves as to the importance of the task. 

 Let us not be misled by vainglory into underestimat 

 ing the strain it will put on our powers. Above all, 

 let us, as we value our own self-respect, face the re- 



