The philippines are ours forever, “territory belonging to the united states” … and just beyond the philippines are china’s illimitable markets. we will not retreat from either … we will not abandon our opportunity in the orient … the philippines give us a base at the door of all the east … [t]he pacific is the ocean of the commerce of the future. most future wars will be conflicts for commerce. the power that rules the pacific, therefore, is the power that rules the world. -senator albert j. beveridge, 1900 why does senator beveridge believe the philippines and china are important to the united states?