Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-17
Oh, We re All Right.
Secretary Whitney Not Borrow.
ing Any Anxiety
IN CASE OF WAR WITH ENGLAND.

ism Commerce-Besides, There's Going
To Be No War.
NEW York, Oct. 1.-THE Suns Washing
ton correspondent sends the sollowing inter-
view which he has had with Secretary
Whitney
an the first place" said the secretary, em-
phatitally, there will be no conflict between
the United States and Great Britain. In all
the discussions over the Canadian question
most vital and salient point has been ignored
Our position is right. 1t has once been SUBJ
stautialiy admitted by the British govern
mentn
"What do You mean by thatln
Il mean lust what say In 1870 and 1871
the Canadians did the precise thing to our
fishermen that they have done recently. The
reciprocity treaty having expired, our fish
ermen were denied commercial privileges in
Canadian ports, Gen Grant. in his annual
message of 1870, called the attention of con
gress to it. and asked for the same grant of
retaliatory power that President Cleveland
lately requested, and within three or four
months the foreign office at London notified
the Canadians that the view taken by them
of the treaty of 1881 was AN extreme view
and that the point might be conceded to the
United States You will find that this an
accurate statement of their position at that
tine. OF course l think we are right, but
what mean to say is that Great Britain is
on record as SAYING that we are, or such
consider the effect of a statement that the
Canadian position is an extreme one that
should be given up.
There are other things to be said on that
matter, but | can not speak for publication
on the fisheries controversy. | will say, how
ever, that do not think it is probable that
Great Britain would go to war for a posi-
titn once characterized by her in this man.
ner.n
"But what do you say as to the result of
an armed coufiict:'
"Weii, let me see," said the secretary,
slowly. He leaned forward and belabored
the burning log with the poker, as he thought
the matter over. Then he said, as he
Strengthened up in his chair: ~ suppose any
one will admit that we would easily win if
such a conflict were carried out on land We
are so, 100000 people, while Great Britain
and her British American colonies are only
As, 100, 900
at is evident" continued the secretary
Ithat the British could not make a conquest
of the United States and that the final re-
suit of any war would end in the annexa
ton of Canada to the United States. Brit
ish naval supremacy and the geographical
characteristics of the coasts of Great
Britain preclude any idea of invasion and
conquest by the United States The trans
Atlantic transportation of military forces
would be limited to British reinforcements
of the garrisons in her American colonies.
Hostile operations on the offensive would be
carried on by the navy exclusively, and these
would be confined to attempts to occupy har-
bors and ports, which might be compelled TO
pay contributions and to blockade of the
| coast. Attempts to capture the United States
| seaports or to blockade her coast can not be
| successful, except to limited extent upon
| the first outbreak of hostilities. Gen. New
ton, late chief of engineers, United State'
| army, saws in his annual report: For th,
| first time in the development of modern ar
! of war the engineer has solved with mathe
| nautical certainty the problem of closing
! harbors and rivers against hostile ships, 81
that the sole question in every case would b,
| whether the Importance of the place would
| justify the cost
ST. the secretary continued, "you look al
| any dictionary of statistics You will find tina
our national wealth is twice theirs, and al
of our force is on the ground. She would b
obliged to fight all land battles over here
where her colonies are"
"But wouldn't Great Britain's nava
strength be OF great use to her on the 81
Lawrence and in the great lakesH
"No, not of the slightest Her only aces
TO the great lakes is through canals, and tn
locks would be blown up by us within
week after war had been declared talke.
with Gen. Sheridan on this subject yea
or more ago, and he made special investiga
ton and got all the necessary data an
what / have said is what he said to me afte
investigating the matter. These canals onl
take small boats-they would be of no gres
consequence if they should get through-bu
we should be able TO hold and destroy tn
line of access to the great lakes withou
doubt Great Britain has a large army
to be sure, but most of 1t is needed else
where than in Canada. Concern
ing naval conflict you understand. | SUI
pose, that Great Britain could make no cor
quest of territory by her naval power ST
could land no force Her aim would be I
get into our harbors and destroy property
But two can play at that game Our ia
cruisers would go at her commerce. That
what the co fiict would resolve itself into @
our side, and here are some of the facts fl
thinking men: There is ahoat every day
the year English commerce to the value
$500 600 COO Note that this tremendoI
value is afloat daily. Great Britain's foe
supply is on the waterfall the time. We vi
soon have a dozen cruisers faster than an
,, of the English irou-cads, and these cruise
would attack the British wealth afioat whit
would be at the mercy of our commenced
stroyersh
, "The fate of our navy, then, depends upc
the crusersn
"The attacking cruiser has every advan
age. The English, In their recent nav
maneuvres, experimental this way:
cruiser was sent out into the Irish seas to a
as commerce-destroyer. Four other cru
ers, superior in speed and force, were Sc
: out after her, and the regular British squa
3 ron wa notified to capture her. She elud
n them all, and in fifty-four hours bad ca
tured fifty seven prizes, and when the fic
tious war closed, after about four days, s
was still at large and ready to opera
Q against British commerce. This illustrat
tie difficulty of suppressiug fast CONNER
destroyers. The ocean is pretty lare
/ and to find any one on it is dfficu
y Twelve vessels Of the Baltimore type, su
n as are now being built cruising across t
d lines of commerce on the ocean, would
: able to destroy more property in ninety da
than the entire Eng ish navy would be al
to reach and destroy on our coast Ar
mind you the property Of Great Brita
. which is exposed to our attack, does not CT
y sist Of brown-stone houses that people can
o along without, but is the life of their matt
their food supply, and the clements
(. which the existence of their business depen'
We would be unable, at present, to stand
and fight their ironclads- This might aft
our pride somewhat-and l hope that t
situation will not long exist-but as to I
rest of it, we should be heard from most
7 fectively."
7 LONG" JOHN WENTWORTH DEAF
A Man Who Knew Chicago for Half a CO
fury Joins the Majority.
CHICAGO. Oct. 17.-Hon. John Wentwor
one Of Chicago's oldest and most conspicuC
citizens, who has been confined to his ro
in the Sherman house for some time by
ness, died yesterday morning. Mr.. We
worth-"Long john" as he was won't to
called, on account Of his great size-was
years of age and has been resident Of