New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-26
THE QUESTION or FOREYGv POLICY.

TIE QUESTION OF FOREiGN POLICY
II Is not altogether improbable that the Pres
dent may seek TO resuscitate himself in puDilc
estimation by patriotic utterances regarding ior-
elgn affairs in his forthcoming message. Like
other men OF towering vanity. he is at bottom
intensely hungry for public applause Profess
inc much independence, he is all me ume posing
for effect and making phrases TO capture the
multitude. For once this weakness OF character
may be heartily approved. if it prompts the
President to give expression in some one mes
SAGE before his term expires, to genuine
American feeling His friends have been pre-
dieting for some time that lie would aStonish the
country and completely reyolutioniZe pnOhc
oninion about himself by new foreign policy
The change Of heart, they say privately, dates
from the departure If Mr.. Gresham and the ap-
nointment of Mr. Olney The Presidents wor-
SINNERS fail 10 see that any right-abou-face in
foreign po!icy would be reasonably attributed
70 tbe new Secretary and not to Mr.. Cleveland.
and would place him in the light of a putty Pres
idcnt. easily impressed by Olncy rs by Gresh-
am. But for this the people will not care if only
they can hear once again an American voice
from the White House.
declaration by Secretary Olncy 10 Great Britain
regarding the Monroe Doctrine VIII De made
nublic and that recognition of Cuban insurgents
rs entitled TO begercnt rights will be recon-
mended The President might be more lor'u-
nate In his choice of topics. genuine Alneri-
can would have something 10 say about the
perils OF American missionaries Ill turkey, anu
II disr,lst or fear Of each other render European
Powers unwilling to taae the first independent
and uncOmpromising step for maintenance oil
the rights of civilization. even in the dominlohS
Of the 'unspeakable Turk who ought to have
been tnmbel ont of Europe many years ago
This Nation might at least defend It's own ctl-
zens as promptly rs II did when the 'hH'u
States really had no naval power more than
thirty ycofs ago and was not known. even TO
Itself. rs Il great power in warfare on land.
Neither is there good reason for leaving Amcri-
can interests in Japan and China entirely unde-
Tended In that direction lies the key OF the
industrial and commercial future for all West
orn nations. Cossacks in Corea, Russian and
French partition of China, would mean some
thing for this country, and the close friendship
of Japan would mean more But if the freSi-
dent has been started in the direction OF an
American policy. Secretary Olney Is man
shrcwd enough to touch more questions than
that Of the Venezuela boundary or the bel
ugerency Of Cuban insurgents. What the mes
SAGE may cover is necessarily doubtful, for until
! recently nobody could expect Il to embrace any
vigorous assertion Of National policy. If the
Government has ceased to be a mere tame echo
of British wishes the elections have done some
good
The most intelligent rulers of Spain have pub
ucly stated that recognition of The insurgents
as belicerents could not be long delayed, and
have argued that it would give Spain important
advantages in dealing with the instruction.
That IS not tie question for the United States,
nor have we anything to do with the motives OF
the insnracton. or with American sympathy
with those motives. In the forum of interna-
tlonal law the question is purely one of facts,
and If the insurgents have the organization. the
power, the popular support and the established
authority which entitle them to belligcrcnt rights.
the United States may properly recognize that
fact BIT we have no business to manufacture
the fact. The question in Venezuela is more
difficult II IS not. as some suppose. question
of establishing British authority on the CONT
nent where no such authority existed. but one
OF disputed boundary where the British have
held some territory 10" nln'lA-lNo years. anu
the question is how much they rightfully hold.
While their present claim does not seem wei
founded. II Is not easy - see how the Monroe
Doctrine applies TO a boundary dispute between
two adjacent provinces. But If the President
makes this clear or satisfactorily establishes the
right Of Cuban insurgents to recognition as bel
lgercnts, he will be heartily SUPPORTED by multi
tudes Of Americans. who will only regret that
something Ike Americanlsm was not manifested
much earlier