The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-12
The Partition of England.

There Is practically no doubt that some
sort of scheme for general combina ton
TO strip England Of what foreigners con-
s-oer her Ni-gotten acquisitions was at
least Iaid before the leading European dip
iornatlsts. II even seems probable that in
the West African Franco-German con-
/ Ventton signed the other day Germany
made actual sacrifices of her pretens.ons
/ SO as 10 pave the way for joint action
at al events, the German papers are cry
ing out that they were tricked in the
| negotiations. Nor is there any shadow OF
doubt that. for the moment, AZ least, all
such projects are abandoned. But il is
interesting, and it may be instructive. 10
/ consider what main lines the continental
diplomatists would work on if they sa;
| down round table TO draft an agreement
| for the partition of England.
Suppose. then. that the great battle had
| been fought Suppose that the Sedan OF
| our navy had come upon US, that our
ports were blockaded, and all supplies cut
off by joint fleet of the Powers patrolling
| in sight Of our coasts, and that while
! England is starving into submission the
pienipotentiaries sit down at Paris, Ber-
I'm, or st. Petersburg to arrange the d.
| vision. Just so they sat down al Vienna
TO be done then was mainly work of rest
tution-restorins the conquests which Ma
poleon had made within ten or fifteen
years ~ the original owners. Yet the DIS
agreements proved SO violent that the only
thing which prevented the partitioning
Powers from flying at each others threats
was Napoleon's landing in France Would
the task be easier when the countries TO
be divided had either known no sovereign
but the English sovereign, or were at
least long-standing possessions where any
conflicting title had long since died out?
At first sight the lines of agreement
would seem obvious enough. America, of
course, must have been bought off with the
assurance of free hand in Canada-for
it is practically certain that no comb.na-
ton Of European Powers could crush an
Anglo-Saxon coalition into prostration.
Posts in the Eastern hemisphere would
be no temptation 10 her But, if We are
not greatly mistaken, America would see
in this occasion a great chance for ex-
tending the Monroe doctrine 10 the West
Indies. She might fairly say to Europe.
Canada is ours by the logic of events,
since, England's naval power being bro
ken, Canada must join US sooner or later,
and the Monroe doctrine forbids your at
tempting its conquest. You must give US
something else. Give us the British West
Indies, and allow Cuba to declare its in
dependence of Spain and join u.s. There |
is no doubt large party in the States who |
would be opposed 10 such a policy, but the |
Sugar Trust and the tobacco-traders. who |
would see an enormous profit in the ar |
rangement, might overbear them; and the |
great Powers would no doubt gladly con- !
1,,x, no Of
Spain.
All this might be arranged without too /
much squabbl:ng. France would certainly |
claim Newfoundland, to settle once for all |
the long-standing quarrel over her fisher
les there. and America would see a men,
ace in French stations so near the French
speaking community of the Great Lakes.
But setting the New World out of the |
question, and assuming-it is a large as
Europe would acquiesce in
an arrangement which made the United
States practically paramount from Baffin's
Bay to Cape Horn, Asia and Africa would
afford matter enough for dispute. France
would lake West Africa over bodily, and
the Nile into the bargain. Germany would
take British East Africa and the Cape, |
so that the whole continent would be vir-
tualy divided between these Powers. Rus
sia would take over India. extend her rail
way from Merry to Peshawur, and con-
meet Bombay with ST. Petersburg. AS for
Australia and New Zealand those commu-
mites would, no doubt, be encouraged TO
declare their independence. since in the
general exhaustion after a great struggle
10 European Power would care to take
,ver the very awkward job Of reducing |
hem; but, probably by a t:c!t agreement
among diplomatitits, they would be recog
lized as within Germany's sphere of in
iuence. Such would probably be the main
ines. But just imagine the quarreling
when it came to working the thing out. ;
London Spectator.