The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-17
ONE CAUSE OF INDIFFERENCE.

If we seek for a reason why the peo-
pie Of the United States, who are prob
ably a unit in favor OF settling all
differences by arbitration. have borne
so tamely and with so little public re-
monstrance the atrocious course Of the
senate in mutilating it, we are not shut
In to the explanation Of a criminal
indifference. That does exist, it is true.
Our country has been permeated, as
others have been, by a diabolicaI
apathy where moral considerations are
prominent, and has lent itself almost
equally with others to The accunluIa-
ton of wealth at the cost of suffering
and of honor. Still the great mass of
the people, who hailed this arbitration
treaty as the beginning of a new and
benigant era, do have some reason for
refusing to rise in mutiny against
the policy adopted by the senate They
are unutterably disguised with the for
eign policy of The nation with which
this treaty was to be concluded. The
course that Great Britain has chosen
to take in the East, in defiance of hu-
manity, Of Christianity and even of
an enlightened self-interest. has raised
In the minds Of many devoted to the
Idea of arbitration the question wheth-
er, after ALL a close alliance with
this people in the conduct of foreign
affairs might not have its disadvan-
tages. We quote the following from
Life, which not seldom touches upon
current events with a pen as trenchant
as it usually is witty:
1t will be painful to have the arbitration
treaty lost but If England does not contriye
some way OF getting cut of the concert of
nations which is now taking place on the
neck OF nttle Greece, the misery of it will he
good deal obviated The establishment oP
permanent relations of friendship and com
mon sense with the nations of Europe cannot
De expected to be popular in the United States
unless the nations of Europe manage same
now to put up better quality of civilized he
haYior than they are showing us at present
20 lo4g as they are banded together to pro-
tect the Turk in the commission of atrocities
ana TO squelch any feeble people that has
spunk enough to rise against oppression thew
cdhhot inspire respect or cordial sentiments of
any KIND on this side of the water. We NAV
think the arbitration treaty an admirable
measure, and we may be ashamed of orr own
senate LOT plockng and butchering it, but
when we compare a form of government
which permits such body as the senate to
reject the arbitration treaty with one which
permits Salisbury TO force England to con-
nive at bondholders' blockade of Crete the
contrast, on the whole, is favorable to our
system.
There is no question that England
has lost caste among the .iations
of the world, has sacrificed a proud
record and created the belief that her
national character has deteriorated by
her support Of plumber and crime.
There is just as little doubt that This
policy, which her people in their souls
1oathe and abhor, is forced upon the
government by the holders of Turkish
bonds. OF all the nations that are
banded together today to perpetuate
the rule Of blood and lust in the East
solely to assure the bond-holding class
that their securities will be paid, none
is more responsible and none more
confessedly at the beck and call Of the
commercial interest and instinct than
England. This is her sacrifice, and
this is her measure of national duty
and her place in International adjust
ments. Deaf to the call Of need. in
sensible to the protests of her own
people, silent when her greatest men
urge to noble action, Great Britain
shows to US a foreign policy dominated
by the money lender. It is certainly
true that the realization of this has
Disguised the American people and
made them less eager and earnest for
an arbitration agreement than they
were before.
1t will be well. however, while we
are judging our neighbors, to remen-
Der that our own skirts are not clear,
or our hands clean. Perhaps, after
all, q close connection between
a country that protects the Turk
IN the commission Of atrocity and a
country that permits deeds scarcely
.less atrocious to be committed FOR