The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-27
Below zero.
NO DANGER OF TT.

OF all the canards to which each pos
sibility of International complication
gives birth in such abundance, that
which prophesies European interven-
ton in the interest of Spain in case of
any difficulty with the United States
over Cuba is most inherently absurd
and improbable. 1t carries it's quality
on the face of 1T, because we all know
that European powers have all that
their hands can hold in looking after
their own affairs. We have seen with
in the last year that one of the great
est and most imperious of them, rather
than to risk the possibility of clash
with this country over the Venezuela
question, consented to back squarely
down from a position deliberately as
sumed and assent to an Interpretation
and enforcement of the Monroe doc
trine that have been hooted at by every
statesman of any rank In Great Brit
ain. If this was the result of the ap-
pearance of a mere speck of a war
cloud, we can imagine how unlikely
it is that Germany or any other of the
continental powers should make an eff
fort to get into hot water with ma
ton recognized to be far superior in
resources.
But it is not necessary to dwell upon
abstract argument for we have only
to look at the Turkish situation to see
the utter impossibility of any European
combination against the United States.
In the Turkish matter all the
powers were practically in ac-
cord. They all wanted to see
the Armenian massacres stopped.
They all wanted decent governmental
reforms granted. They were a unit in
this matter, and for once they were
thoroughly in earnest. Yet even against
the poor wretch who occupies the
throne of the sultan they were unable
to make any effective agreement what
ever. He dared to defy their ultima
tum with a calm confidence that thew
would not proceed against him. and he
was right. No European ruler knows
where the last echoes will die away
after the first shot has been fired.
Their alleged association for any often
sive position is pure fiction. They
hate and fear one another, and each
of them knows that, at the first oppor-
tunity, after one had become embroiled,
Its allies would not hesitate to turn
against it if they could use the emer-
gency to their own advantage.
There is no such harmony of action
or of motive in Europe as would make
a general alliance possible If, with the
whole world crying out upon the situa-
ton at Constantinople, with their honor
dragged in the dust and all their inter
ests combining to make Intervention
in Turkey desirable, tie European pow
ers found themselves unable to move
a finger, We can guess how improbable
it is that they would voluntarily take
up the cause of Spain, not even a third
rate power among them and not con-
sidered in their mutual alliance, against
the most powerful nation of the world
today. If the United States were to
propose the conquest Of the Spanish
peninsula and the establishment there
of republic, doubtless Europe would
combine, in self-preservation, to pre-
vent it. Nothing short of that could
arouse it to action. AS to any nation
coming voluntarily to the assistance of
Spain in an unnecessary war with the
United States, brought on to keep Cuba
in the position of a victim of Spanish
rapine and oppression, 1T is not merely
absurd it is unthinkable.