Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-02
ENGLAND AND AMERICA,

the dignity and goodness of death
b. B ELLIS.
ENGLAND AND AMERICA.
Some Reasons Urged Why Uncle Sam Should
Have Effective Defensive Arnaments.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
recent events and the present emergency
certainly have had the effect to show the Amer
lean people the prime importance Of defensive
ornaments, both upon the land and the sea;
he who disputes the absolute necessity of such
preparations as will place us in a position to
compel respect from others and to prevent en-
croachments upon our natural or acquired
rights and possessions is blind indeed, and it is
hopeless undertaking to show such one the
true elements OF danger and downright aggres-
sion. Our national policy has always been one
of passiveness, SO far as the eastern world is
concerned; we have happily, wisely and to our
own great advantage held aloof from the en-
Engagements that always menace the peace Of
Europe and make that continent one vast camp
and battlefield. The bane Of annexation and
colonization has never poisoned our political
life, and with all the vast accessions to our ter
rltory since our national existence there il but
one act that can with true logic, be called ag-
erosion, and that is the cession acquired from
Mexico after the war, and We paid good round
as for Louisiana, and, including the Gadsden
purchase, much more. But there has been one
policy we have advocated since lS24-for sixty
eight years-and upon which all parties have
ever agreed, and that is the Monroe doctrine;
and yet, in spite of that policy being well
known to the world, we see it set at naught by
England in her aggressions upon Venezuela.
We see on every side English bullying and en-
croachments and seem to be powerless to put a
check upon her greed. The Sandwich Islands,
directly upon our pathway TO the east, are an
other possession coveted by tho British, and
should they come under British control we'll do
We know that they would become another ''hor-
nets nest at our door. We may safely con-
clude that, sooner or later, those islands Will
be under the protection of the British flag
Another question is now mooted. 1t is stated
that Britain covets the harbor of st. Quentin,
on the coast of Lower California. That means
the peninsula will come under her domination.
And what is her pretext for this new acquisi-
ton? The simple fact that the Nicaragua canal
Will IN few years, without any doubt, be COM
pleted, and 1t will at once become one of the
greatest arteries of commerce on the globe,
and England wants to hold the outlet to that
waterway. She already has strong fortresses
upon the east, but Vancouver Island is too far
away on the west.
II there is one question external to our own
boundaries that we are vitality interested in it
Is the completion of that canal and the control
alter completion. 1t would be piece of as
great national shortsightedness and neglect of
proper care OF our direct interests for us to
ditch after its completion as could be found in
the whole annals Of history. We might just as
well permit others to fortify and close to US
the mouth Of the Mississippi.
AS things now stand should we become in
VOWED In war we would practically be compelled
10 Dulld two navIes-One for the Atlantic and
one for the Pacific. They are too remote to be
OF any assistance to each other. II the canal
was completed and under our direct control az
the Suez canal is under the control of England
II would add immensely to our defensive condi-
ton, besides the incalculable commercial ad-
vantages; it should be considered an American
under taking just as much the Erie canal is,
and should no sooner be allowed to fall under
the domination of others who would use it to
our detriment.
Another question should be urged with all
the energy OF which true statesmen are capable;
that Is a deep, wide, always reliable channel,
with at least twenty-four feet of water, from
the lakes to the Mississippi or the Hudson-in
fact both would be great commercial features.
| and besides would add greatly to our safety on
the north. For statesmen may sugar-coat the
pill and try to make it sweet to the taste, and
talk OF 'amity" and Christian good will'' and
all other high-sounding and goody-goody words
In regard to our relations with England, yet
when the sugar coating dissolves the bitter taste
OF English selfshness and aggression is always
found at the core. There's a long list Of griev-
ances charged up against her by America. and,
OF course, the British are pretty good book
keepers themselves and have not failed to note
that we are never ready to 60 into ecstases
over her successes and We seldom put on sack
cloth and ashes when she is checkmated
Down deep in the American heart is the
feeling that England is ever placing or
ready to place obstacles in our pathway
Her course during the civil war and
her recent course and comments upon
our action in the Chilean affair show this 30
plainly that a near-sighted man could see it Of
dark night We are her commercial rival,
| and We are making strenuous and successful
efforts to compete with her on ground that
| she considers her own by right of prescription;
and it must not be forgotten that all OF John
Bulls object in spreading over the whole world
| Is to erect shops for the sale Of British wares;
you strike against that idea and you strike the
foundation stone of his whole fabric. We can
then safely predict this: II the question at
issue in regard TO the Boring sea is settled
peaceably, as the Alabama arbitration and the
Halifax fishery questions were, there will soon
be some other question spring up that will
again menace the peace existing between the
two nations The English idea of grasping all
that is in sight aud our idea Of saying hands
of" will ever be leading up to new broils, and
we might as well settle at once to have a per-
manent arbitration board in constant session;
1t Will be more necessary than the permanent
census bureau; or we should prepare to main
tain our rights by force. A mixture Of the two
would be prudent q. A. GIILILANp