The Indianapolis journal., 1895-11-03
THE UNPOPULARITY OF ENGLAND.
The Fact Recognized and Admitted by
British Writer.


The London Spectator has, in the current
number, an interesting article. on ''The
Unpopularity OF England" 1t is refresh
fngly candid, thoroughly discriminating, and
appreciative article, and it csuld have been
written only by a bred-in-the-b bone and
dyed-in-the-wool Englishman. The writer
starts out with the frankest recognition OF
the fact that by her neighbors, great and
small, those of the old world and of the
new, England is disliked. She is conceded
to be unpopular with the great and small
Of North and South America. The Specta-
tor, the correctness of whose observations
is to be admired, says: Our own flesh
and blood In America JOIN the chorus, and
declare that though we are sound at heart
and In essentials virtuous, and full of
moral worth we are in the daily inter-
course of international life very unpleasant
"a laundering, bullying, grabbing. power.
with no regard for the feelings of others,
and therefore naturally and inevitably dis
standing had said that, even its own readers
would probably say Of the description that
IL was overdrawn. exaggerated; but IT has
been said by an English journal of the
highest standing, and it is unquestionably
true.
If the average Englishman is frank, he is
similarly liable TO be dull. and the density
of the Spectator editors dullness is empha-
sized by his subsequent remark, that though
''the fact of our unpopularity is so clear,
1t is by no means easy to state the cause.
This is all the more remarkable as the
cause was previously stated by the writer
with unmistakable clearness. France, he
said. declares England hypocritical; Ger
many finds her, in all parts OF the world,
irritating; Russia dislikes her because she
is "stolidly and stubbornly tiresome and
unamiable;' and Austria does not admire
her because she Is always looking out Tor
her own interests. Even her own colonies
are too much disposed, says the Spectator,
to look upon her as "a blundering, bullying,
grabbing power, with no regard for the feel
ings of Others" Further, says this very
candid Englishman, who is writing OF his
own country and people: I'VE are called
self-righteous. and reckoned as disagreeable
as all self-righteous people undoubtedly are.
Last and perhaps his is the greatest
source of our unpopuiarity, we are con-
a hypocritical power. There is no use in
blinking the fact. In the eyes of Europe
we are the Pecksniff Of the nations"
Nothing could be more candid than this,
and vet the author of it. who recognizes
that another reason of England's unpopu-
larity is that England and Englshmen are
the cause of her and their unpopularity.
The cause lies, as any impartial observer
may perceive, in a single word, selfishness-
a quality in which England as a nation is
TO seize, grab and take whatever and When
ever she could to annoy and irritate. strong
powers and to bully and Cypress weak ones.
Her foreign policy has been that OF ''ulti-
matums" instead OF conciliation or arbitra-
tion, of fleets instead Of arguments. Having
made the admission complete and exhaus-
rise TO sunset and from pole TO pole, the
Spectator asks, what is the remedy? and
replies that so far as IL knows. there is
none. This is followed by that fine, COM
placent, chronic British sneer which, being
Characteristic, has contributed as much as
anything to the unpopularity of England
and Englishmen. Says the writer: We are
not a thin-skinned people. and, as we think
quite rightly, never bother about the opin-
ions Of our neighbors, whose competence TO
form an opinion in regard TO our actions
is more than doubtful"
bors, all the world, think about these super
ior creatures. as nobody is competent TO
Judge of their superiority. And yet they
are surprised that they are not popular. The
Spectator declares that though no attempt
must be made to get rid of our unpopular
ity, we must not ignore or forget It. The
precise meaning of that is explained later
on by the declaration that eve must go on
at all points strengthening our navy" And
and the substance OF the Spec
tator's entire article, which is another
proof of at least one Englishman's hypoc-
risy while we have the undoubted and
at such combinations" as Englands unpopu-
larity Is likely to provoke. IF we lose it,
the command OF the sea-"God help us"
The Spectators advice is that mo attempt
must be made TO get rid OF our unpopular
ity" but sour unpoDuiarity should be a con-
fleet, both as regards men and ships above
all question in the matter of superiority."
Rv what means this Is TO be done. other
powers having equal skill. equal resources
and equal determination. Is not explained; |;
nor can ii be easilv. The difficulty of doing
less unpopularity would render unnecessary