The Portland daily press., 1894-12-27
INDIFFERENCE AND INTERFERENCE
A Foreign Policy that smaoks of Bedlam'
IN. Y. SUM-

IN. Y. SUM-
The kew to the Cleveland Gresham for
eign policy has yet to be discovered. A
meddlesome disposition in matters where
with we have no business to interfere, a
persistent Indifference where American
| interests are really concerned, who can
reconcile the crazy inconsistencies or
find the guiding principle of action in
the performances of the extraordinary
two?
Blow hot, blow cold is the story; hot
whenever the common sense OF the situa-
| zion requires restraint, and cold when
ever the national welfare calls plainly
for the generation of little patriotic
caIoric. In indifference: The time comes
| for the fruition of the steadfast policy OF
the United States for half century with
regard to Hawaii. The islands are ours,
not for the asking, but for our mere con-
senting. "Nol" say Cleveland and
Gresham to the American people. Hands
off Hawaii Interference: republican
| form of government has been established
| in that same Hawaii, government rec
ognized by our own. The hands OF
| Cleveland and Gresham are forthwith
| stretched out sIyly from Washington to
assist royalist conspirators and brltlsh
| lntriauers in the overthrow OF President
| Dole's government, and the restoration
of the semi-savage and bloodthlrsty
| wretch who had called herself.
| Indifference: In Samoa we have &C.
| quired certain definite rights and as
| sumed certain definite obligations by
| means of treaty, which is the result
| of the policy declared and inaugurated
| by Cleveland himself during his first
| term. "Hands off of Samoa!" say Cleve-
| land and Gresham: and the pair are ac-
| tuaIly working for the surrender Of a
| repudiation of deliberately assumed
national duty, and for the promotion of
| British interests, with quite as mu3h
| zeal as they could possibly show were
they hired men of Downing street.
Interference: China and Japan engage
| in quarrel with which we have nothing
| to do. Cleveland and Gresham cannot
| keep their hands off, inasmuch rs no
| American interest is to be served by In
| terfering. They begin by notifying
Japan distinctly that their joint fsympa-
| thies are with China, and then when
China gets the worse of the light and
| British interests in Asia are plainly
| threatened they step in and volunteer TO
mediate, a proposition naturally and
properly rejected by Japan with such
| politeness as circumstances permit.
| Indifference: English diplomacy push
1 es cautiously but steadily for COM
manding posi- ton at theAtlantic entrance
| the Nicaragua Canal, the water way of
| the future between the East and West
Of the United States. Never IN our MS
| tory has a greater American interest been
| at stake nor has there ever been more
| obvious or more imperative demand for
| a.vigorouS assertion OF the monroe uoc-
| trine. To all appearances the eyes OF
| Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Gresham are fixed
| upon Armenia.
| Interference: The old Eastern ques-
| ton, around which European diplomacy
| has revolved for years, is acutely revived
| by reports of Turkish outrages in the
| neigh borhood of Mount Ararat. Cleve-
| and and Gresham cannot keep their hands
off. They promptly join the European
governments in an investigation or the
| crimes of the Kurds and the lncompe-
| tence of Turkish administration, and
send off an agent to Armenia! This sud
den departure from American policy and
| precedent is so startling as to attract the
| attention even OF our friends, the self
| conferred Frenchmen, and to inspire a
Paris newspaper to ask what has become
| of our Monroe doctrine, and to hail our
government as 1.-The seventh European
| power"
This is skeleton sketch of the as.
founding foreign policy of Mr.. Cleveland
| and Mr. Gresham up to date. Who can
| understand it? Who can explain it upon
any theory that recognizes the entire
| sanity of the President and his Secretary
of State?
why is the policy of meddlesomeness
active whenever we have nothing to gain
| by interfering?
why is the policy of apathy manifest
| whenever we have everything to lose
| by indiffence on the part OF the Cleveland
| administration?
What will come next on the fantastic
| programme?