The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-05-08
ANANGLo-sAxoN LEAGUE.
The Necessity for an Offensive and De-
fensive Alliance Between the United
States and Great Britain.

The Necessity for an Offensive and De-
fensive Alliance Between the United
States and Great Britain.
WASHINGTON, April 3o.-The necessity
for an Anglo-SaNon league, or, more
properly, an offensive and defensive
alliance between the two great English
speakinc nations. has been, according
10 writer in local newspaper, the
subject of recent discussion in certain
political circles here. 4 gentleman who
has served with distinction as Senator
and Cabinet Minister, and who mas
descrvedly national reputation as
constitutional lawyer and broad thinker
on international affairs, says -
There are many reasons for such an
understanding between the two great
English speaking nations. In the tlrSt
place there is the powerful motive OF
common interest. Englishmerf own
twenty-five hundred millions of Amerl.
can securitieS-United States bonds and
railway bonds and shares. They own
three million acres of land IN great
stock lanche companies. Our Pacific
railroads furnish them with a route to
their colonial possessions nearly twelve
thousand miles more direct than the
water route around Cape Horn. Any
attack on our great cities would Jeapar.
die enormous British commercial IN
tereStS.
"A blockade of American ports Of
three months duration would starve all
England, for her main food supply
comes from us, and two hundred thou
sand souls would be out of employment
if American cotton were prevented from
reaching English factories. These things
alone are enough to make 1t to Eng
lands interest to prevent close block
ade of American ports.
Then, there are other reasons. The
confederation of Germany is complete,
and the best continental thinkers be
lieve that similar confederation Of the
Latin races is near at hand. 1t would
not disturb the integrity Of any OF the
nations, but will only be union for GER
tain purposes involving common inter.
ests. If this should be done, would not
the coming together of the English
speaking races become desirable er ne
cessitt:te rei2 We are very fortunately
situated in many respects. Our country
alone could furnish all Europe with
bread
But what emergency or condition OF
things would make this close union Of
the United States and England neces-
SarvI' the writer inquired.
why, don't you see? Suppose war
should suddenly come upon us, say with
Germany, and New York was blockaded
by German fleet and an indemnity
levied on that city. We have no fleet or
other means of resisting their demands.
Suppose England, with her navy OF 2S2
ships OF war, were to offer us her assist
ance, would We not either be compelled
to accept it or submit to the payment OF
such an enormous indemnity as would
be a national humiliation for all time:
And which do you think the American
people would prefer to do2
Il am amazed at the stupidity, OF
worse, of men-they are mostly IN the
lower House of Congress owe a
duty to their constituents and the coun-
try in furnishing means for the con-
struction of modern works and high
power heavy guns that they do not seem
to dream of. We have in all the States
fit for military duty 6,797, 900 men, but
in what way could they keep off an IRON
clad fleet. or how would it be possible
to mobilize them into effective soldiers
in time to make them available? Modern
wars take place quickly and are OF short
duration.
Remember, l am not arguing in favor
of or against such league. l am only
pointing out the causes that would bring
it about under the stress of necessity.
We must have allies sometimes. But
for the trained troops and the warshlps
of France the American Revolution
would have been prolonged indebnltely ~.
Il will give you another reason why
England would be our natural ally if we
needed one. Public opinion here is un-
dergoing a great change. We are be-
ginning to understand that we have du-
ties touching the comfy of nations that
our dignity will not longer permit US to
ignore or disregard. If we do not build
the Nicaragua or some other interoceanlc
canal England will, for that nation, IN
the light of recent events. must have a
short water line for her ships of war to
her colonies IN the Pacific. We cannot
prevent her constructing this canal i
we wanted to, for we would deliberately
act the part of the dog in the manger
who could not eat the hay and pre-
vented the COW from doing so.
''It we conclude to build it, and It
looks like we shall so decide, we will
not be able to keep England from using
it without creating serious interna'
tional question, which would give Won
Bismarck the chance he seeks of making
the matter the subject of a European
Congress. This would be surely decided
against US, the powers would be pledged
TO enforce their decision, and what
could We do against the combined fleets
of Germany, France, Spain, Portugal,
Austria and Fngland3'