New-York tribune., 1895-10-30
BRITISH FRIENDLESSNESS.

England has long rejolced in her geographical
insularty. as a source Of security and strength.
She is now beginning to regret her political
isolation. as a cause OF embarrassment and loss.
There is in international politics to-day no fact
more noteworthy than the friendessness OF Eng
land. II Is literal truth to say she is dlsked
by every European Power, with the single ex-
ception of Italy Nobody realizes this more
than do Englishmen themselves, and they are
now paving some serious attention to 1t. Their
leading journals confess it and frankly dis
cliss the fact with real concern. There Is, no
doubt much reason for this feeling on the
part Of other Powers. The ways OF England
are not as those Of her neighbors She Is less
suave less adaptable; perhaps more straightfor-
ward She assumes IN air Of superiority. She
patronlzes everybody. More than all else, she
has committed the objectionable sin Of success.
She has not only done that, but she has done
il where others have failed France and Portu-
gal were first in India, and Spain and France
In North America and Holland and Portugal
in South Africa, and France again in Egypt.
But the first are now last, and the last has be-
come first The history Of the last four centuries
is a record of the successes OF England and OF
the failures Of all other Powers in colonization.
Today the British Empire IS the only great
colonial empire in the world. No wonder Eng
land has no friends
The average Englishman may say he does not
care if tbs is So He really does care much. Or,
at any rate his nation, collectively does care;
and with good cause. In more than one impor-
tant occurrence Of late years England has been
thwarted, baffled, and even injured, just be-
cause Of her lack Of friends In Africa she has
had to submit 10 practical severance OF the
.wasp's waist" Of her Empire through the i'll
will Of Germany She had TO stand Idly by
while France partltioned SIAM In the Chino
Japanese War her interests were greater than
those Of all other European Powers combined.
Yet she had to stand alone and count as mere
cpher while Russia. France and Germany die
tated terms Of settlement AZ WILL Now. II
Russia makes the m0nStrous grab she Is said to
contemplate. what can England do! If she pro-
tests or ress,s II must be alone, or with no ally
but Japan. Not even Germany will stand with
her Thus hopeessly estfanged from her Euro
pean neighbors. what wonder II she turns to the
United States? We have not the same cause to
dislike her ~ they We cherish no resentment
for the tyranny of George III; nor even for
the more recent hostility Of Mr.. Gladstone and
his contemporaries a generation ago. We are
chiefly of the same blood and speech, the same
institutions and traditions, as England. Yet
there is unquestionaby throughout this country
a feeling of distrust and dislike for England
scarcely less than that cherished by the most
hostile of European Powers. The cause Of 1t
may differ from that in their case but 1t is just
as strong and Just as evident and 1t is a cause
that only England herself can remove
This fact. that Great Britain is thus polIt
cay isolated and frendless, is one that may
well give her statesmen pause in their swash-
bucklng cr,isades in South America and else
where II may also well indicate 10 our own
State Department It's opportunity to effect a
prompt and satisfactory settlement Of the var-
Gus matters now In dispute. There Is no room
for talk about taking advantage Of England $
plight any more than when in the stress Of the
Cuban War, we urged Spain to a payment OF
the Mora claim. We are not responsible for
Englands plight. and we are privileged to take
advantage of every circumstance that brings
England into a more reasonable frame Of mind
and makes a proper settlement more easy.
Some English papers are making appeal for
Americas friendship, even for some sort Of an
alliance between England and America In deal
ing with Asian affairs. No doubt there Is some
similarity Of interests. 1t would be almost as
dlstasteful and injurious TO us as to England to
have Russia annex Corea, establish a protector
ate over China and check the progress OF Japan.
But we have still greater interests nearer home.
and they must be safeguarded first Ii England
wants our friendship, she can have It, But she
must win 1t by acting worthily. Let her cease
her arrogant and oppressive pretenslons in
Venezuela. and submit the boundary dispute
to peaceful arbitration. That Will be guar
antee Of good faith and friendship, and recog.
milton OF the reasonable rights OF the United