The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-16
TRADE HUNGRY.
Great Nations Struggling
For New Markets.
Why Germany is Unfriendly
Toward The United States.
Colonization Schemes--Monr0e Doc
trine. Question of Policy.


newspapers which usually represent the
governments views were talking In the
same strain, our public men pricked up
their ears and said there might be some
thing In this sudden turn Of Germany
against tho United States.
For some time the relations between
Germany as government and this coun.
try have been rather unpleasant The com
mercial war, the high tariff on this side,
German exclusion of our meat products,
the German charge that this country had
acted in bad faith, really violating the
treaty 10y refusal To abate the tax on Ger
man bounty paid beet sugar, tho life In
suranee trouble in which Germany sought
TO restrict the operations of American life
insurance companies In that country--all
these things have combined To produce
great deal of unpleasant feeling Between
the people of the two countries, Of course,
there are warm tics, because such a large
and welcome part Of our population Is Of
German blood, but just now the German
press Is filed with abuse of the United
States. Nothing that is done in our country
pleases our critics across the water.
Germany's Designs.
Germany, / am told 10y state department
officials, feols much piqucd because the
United States proposes To go ahead with
the annexation OF Hawaii The Germans
have interests In Hawaii, and they are cul
tivating trade in that direction. They lit
tie relish the thought that all this Is TO
come under tho control Of tho United
States. IL may not be that Germany has
had designs Of her own upon the Sandwich
group, hut IL Is certain that if the Ha
waiians had ever proposed annexation o.
fatherIand there would have been 10 delay
In acceptance Mt Berlin. German poll
ticians are represented as very angry be
cause tho United States proposes TO inter
fere in CUho. II Spain finds any ally In
Europe IL must be in Germany. No one
here believes Germany will ever do any
thing more than to give sort of diplo
matio support 10 spain. OF course VI the
United States and Spain come TO blows,
as IL Is not impossible they will and Ger.
many were 10 take sides with force against
us, that would create most serious situn
ton. Probably that would lead also to
England's Intervention on our side, and
thus great European war might be
brought on, but it is highly improbable.
Feolcrs For Commerce.
German dislike for the United States IL
commercial pain. The expressions of
the emperor and of his organs indicate un
erringly that Germany fears American
competition The whole incident serves
to emphasize tho fact that today all the
nations OF the world-thc great nations
are engaged In fierce struggle for com
mercial and political power They are all
land hungry, all trade hungry. Their
colonization policies, backed up by great
fleets and armies, arc mere public subsidies
-. t..x
thrown out by the mighty arm of the
state Four ifths of all their diplomacy
and Of all their armament on sea and land
have special reference 10 their colonial pol.
icies Without their colonies which mean
markets. England would sink To fourth
rate power, Germany To second rate aud
France would lose prestige almost in like
proportion. They arc all struggling TO
widen these markets and to keep them for
their very own.
IL the United States awakens TO realiz-
alton of the fact that in this day and gen
Grafton the nation which stands still really
goes backward, and that unless we stand
out for our proper share of this CONNER
cial and political power we shall be in
danger of retroeression, perhaps the words
OF Emperor William will be in some meas
ure justified, but he Is wrong I'm suppos-
ing, II he does suppose. that this country
has any designs upon the peace of Europe.
We have nothing to do with the politics or
policies of Europe save as they involve
America III this country goes In for coloni
yation or for spreading its prestige through
annexation In Hawaii or protectoracy In
Cuba as we arc very likely to do during
the coming few years, all our efforts will
be confined To the American hemisphere.
The Monroe Doctrine.
Added to IL is another American policy,
now well known the world over, the Mon
roe doctrine. Under IL the United States
assumes responsibility ms the first of west.
ern powers. In the family of nations upon
this continent we are easily the most pow.
erful and power means leadership and re-
sponsiblity. We should be foolish TO In.
cur responsibility under the Monroe doc
trino without accepting its natural Incl
dent, and It's incident Is an extension OF
our prestige and our commerce throughout
all America. II this intorferes with Ger.
many's ambitious plans in Hawaii or
Cuba, or Central or South America, we
cannot help it. Germany and the other
great powers of Europe have ovorrun
Africa and Asia and Australasia, they have
reached out into tho South Pacific and
grabbed nearly everything in sight, and
they surely should be willing 10 give the
United States a little room for growth
within our own ncighborhood and upon
the continent which our civilization so
thoroughly dominates.
I mot tho other day an old student Of In
tcrnational aiinirs a man Of great expert
ence and reputation, who predicted TO me
that the next great war la which the Unit
ed States engages will be fought over the
MOnrOc doctrine. Us issue Viii be whether
that doctrine shall stand and 80 much of
America ms is unable to govern itself prop
trly shall fall under the stars and stripes,
or whether this continent will become
subject 90 further European colonization.
Upon the determination Of this question,
said he. depends whether or not the United
States Is going % be the first nation Of the
world or a second rate power.
WALLER WELLMAN.