The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-18
BRITISH AGGRESS|ONS,
At Last the United States Has
Called a Halt in Land.
Grabbing.
San Francisco, at Least, Is Impregna.
Bile and Fighting Material
Is Plentiful.

North America, and of late years has
shown great activity in Central and South
America. In keeping with the aggressive
and colonizing spirit of her people, she
has acquired many small strips of terri
tory. and then by force and strategy ex-
tended the original possessions to acquire
positions of great commercial and mari
time importance.
The possessions in Venezuela were ac-
quired from Holland in 1914. 1t is not
clear that Holland had any title to the
territory other than that of holding it by
sufferance of Spain. 1t is clear, however,
that Venezuela never by treaty or other
wise recognized Hollands right in the
premises, but the country claimed was not
of sufficient importance then to demand a
renewal of treaty rights.
Gradually Great Britain encroached on
Venezuelan territory, holding fast to
every advantage gained, and now, in a
grasping spirit, threatens to extend her
boundaries so as to command the outlet
of the Orinoco.
writer well versed in British diplo-
matte tactics recently wrote for THE CALL
this view of the case: British diplomats,
QUESTIONS and the art of letting time de-
velop small holding into claim TO an
empire, have kept in view all these years
the golden stream of wealth that would
ultimately flow into her Golfers could she
but make good her foothold at the great
mouth of the Orinoco and so control the
commerce of the tributary regions"
In Alaska Great Britain is playing the
same game that is being played in Vene-
zuela. In Egypt and India the game is
old, but England never loses a point in
playing it.
Since President Cleveland in his message
to Congress yesterday recommended that
Commissioners of the United States
should at once establish the boundary
lines of Venezuela and Great Britain, and
that this country sustain by force, if ne
cessary. the decree OF the Commissioners,
England must acquiesce in this form of
settlement or fight for her coveted terri
tory in Venezuela.
The United States has gone too far to
recede. The position of the Nation has
been defined. Since President Grant
notified the British Government that in
demnity for property destroyed by the
cruiser Alabama must be paid by Great
Britain, no declaration more pointed has
gone from Washington to any European
country than the document which Cleve-
land has just transmitted to Congress.
In view of these facts, the fighting re-
sources of the United States must consti-
tute an interesting topic of inquiry.
The American soldier is not surpassed
anywhere in the world for bravery skill,
intelligence and endurance. The same
can be said of the men of the American
navy. In point of conflict where mum bers
and guns are equal the superior alertness
of the American is great advantage. AS
fighters they stood a greater percentage of
killing at either Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chick
amauga or Gettysburg than the British
troops encountered at Waterloo. There
were many examples of Americans stand
ing in line and practically fighting battle
of three days duration. On the sea they
fight as long as the ship floats and then go
down with the flag flying.
There is inst as good material in the
American navy to-day as that which won
the conflicts which made the names of
Paul Jones, Perry and Farragut i'm
perishable.
The chances are that in case of war the
Canadian militia might make the first
dash and get into New York State before
our small standing army and widely scat
tered regiments of the National Guard
could be concentrated on the boundary,
but the immense preponderance of Ameri-
can strength on land would soon repel the
militia raids and transfer the combats to
Canadian soil. Our end of the fight out
here on the Pacific Coast could be handled
in fine style by the National Guard regi-
ments of California, Oregon and Washing
ton, sustained by the enlistment of addi-
tional regiments. In case of emergency,
California could send 10000 men to British
Columbia. Iowa. during the war of 1861
65, with less population than California
has now, sent 10000 soldiers to the front.
In war with Great Britain Iowa would
readily raise 10000 men in seventy hours.
There is much talk in England and some
IN this country about THE great British
harbor and naval station at Esquimalt
from. which her Majesty's fleet could
emerge and place San Francisco under
tribute. 1t is true that vast sums of money
have been expended to make Esquimalt
a formidable naval station, but the obser-
walton OF American officers is to the effect
that it could be taken by land without
much opposition. The chances of war are
that Americans would get to Esquimalt
before the British fleet got to San Fran
cisco.
Captain Runcie of the United States
army visited that country some time ago
and what he saw and heard convinced him
that Esquimalt was not the great strong
hold people imagine it to be.
On the sea England is much stronger
than the United States, but she has such
great responsibilities in many parts of the
world that she could not concentrate her
fleets at once in our waters. She now has
on the Pacific station the ROYAL Arthur
(fagship), first class protected cruiser;