Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-01-10
British Brag I'm Guiana.

An occasional correspondent writes
from Demerara in British Guiana under
the date Oct. 81 as follows: "Since l
have been here / have heard lot OF
nonsense about the Venezuelan and
Brazilian boundary questions that will
sound strange to readers in the United
States. think that | have caught the
public opinion very well. l have dined
in different hotels and table 'hote res
taurants, playing the part of French
man who cannot understand word OF
English, and l have heard startling
opinions expressed in the latter lam
guage. l have chatted with the prin-
cipal shopkeepers when have gone to
purchase trifling articles and l have
found that every one is discussing the
chances of a war between the United
States and England. The Hon. Charles
Lus, governor Of British Guiana, was
summoned by cable, and he sailed on
last Thursday in the r. M. S. Solent.
The English-speaking people here ex-
press pity for the United States and
the conviction that they will be
smashed to pieces if England goes to
war with them. So ignorant are these
British merchants here that this very
day in table d'hote, one OF them stated
as positive fact that the United States
navy possesses only one cruiser, the So
called New York, and that she would
be only a mouthful for the Blake. THIS
English merchant went on to say that
the other ships in our navy were
schooners, and that they were armed
with guns that were loaded with petro-
leum and were of no use. Another
English merchant said that he knew
the United States had another cruiser,
the Columbia, and he had heard that
she was a beauty. But of what use
would it be p he added. The American
sailors are a lot of jumpers, and they
will jump overheard when the first gun
is fired. They have made reputation
as bridge jumpers, and as soon as gun
is fired they will make reputation
as shin jumpers. They are OF no use,
and if the United States doesn't stop
talking pretty quick, New York, BOB
ton. and Chicago will be in ashes In
few weeks This Is the kind or non
sense one hears in all the public places
here, and from the most influential OF
the English merchants. They get good
deal of sport in talking about the irish
regiments that would be raised in the
United States to repulse the English
in case of war. In another hotel yes
terday every one was talking war. One
merchant expressed the general opin-
ion in this way: 1T Is time to remind
Brother Jonathan that he was once our
subject and that England makes the
laws for all Europe and for the civilized
world. 1t is time to call down the
United States In another restaurant,
more cosmopolitan, there was an Aus
trian and an Italian merchant last
night, and they were for arbitration.
These are the only men whom l have
heard talk that way thus far. And
why arbitrator said the Englishmen
present. Would your emperor or king
arbitrate about Vienna II Russia
claimed it, or about Turin II Switzer-
land claimed it? Then why should we
arbitrate about land which belongs
to u.s.? Yes answered the Austrian,
who has become British subject,
which belongs to us as the stolen
pocketbook belongs to the thief
"The people here consider the Mon
roe doctrine nonsense and sheer imper-
thence. They say that it is the state
ment of single statesman who, In
moment of patriotic exaltation, de-
clared that American policy must be
one of neither entangling in the brolls
of Europe nor suffering other powers TO
interfere with the broils OF the New
World. This. they say, has nothing TO
do with the present case, when Eng
lands rights are apparent and Just.
This is the kind of talk that have
heard here, and from representative