The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-12

The following paper was read re-
Gently by Franklin MacVeagh before
the Chicago Literary club. 1t is wor-
thy Of careful perusal by every intelli-
gent American:
The new century promises Interest,"
ing and important international devel-
opment The international activities
Of the last fifty years, il is likely. have
been preparations FOR lasting readjust-
ments among the nations Napoleon
gave Europe too short a time to be-
come either republican or Cossack; but
the underlying International issue to-
day te MS Napoleon thought it would
he"umr, between the forces of demo-
CraCy and those of absolutism; the one
represented by England and the other
by Russia. 1t seems to be settling too
into an issue between the Germanic
races and the SlavuIiC the two rc-
manning forces that are at once great
and growing greater; ana the two
races which, in their aggregates. rep
resent fire" representative government
on the one hand and absolute bureau
cratic government on the other The
contention viii be for the leadership Of
the world; and for mastery of the
great currents which will make and
model the civilization of the next GEN.
turtles. And if international develop
ments. involving the future of free
government, free commerce and free
men, are approaching. one can see the
great impression sure to bc made upon
the world by any marked change in
the international importance Of the
United states. The United States has
for a long time assumed to be of no
importance to International adjust
ments. On the other land the United
States is Il great power. 1t has be-
come potentially the strongest of ma
tions--the most powerful that ever has
existed. Contemplate then what a
tremendous difference it will make il
such a nation. not having been taken
into account. has suddenly to be taken
into account.
orr PRORLEMS WORLD PROB
LENS.
We see then that the questions now
agitatins our people touching our for
eign policy, concern not only our ma
tion and its future. but almost more
the whole world of nations and their
future.
not to express my judgment of what it
is wise for our country to do, but to
interpret the nations drift: not to tell
YOU how much the country ought to
expand in it's territory and it's foreign
policy, but what expansion I believe
is certain to take place, whatever YOU
or ! may think about it-how much is
inevitable. Most of us had become so
nod 1
our own continent; were 50 unexpect-
ant of any interests but those of our
own isolated development: were so
unburdened with the thought of being
our brothers keeper. that to suddenly
tind ourselves faCing the whole world,
with every chance of taking hand in
all that goes on in ii. and of having
possessions great or small all over the
world is the strangest metamorphOsis
any national situation has ever under
gone But i. is important to under
world is The stlaUges, metamOrphuss
is only apparent. The general assump-
tion is by no means correct that terri
torial expansion and participa tion in
foreign affairs are both wholly new
ambitions, wholly new impulses and
wholly new responsibilities and eXperi-
chces. II would be wrong to mimi
mize the untried elements in the forms
OF territorial and political expansion
which we now confront. But it Is also
very misleading tn overlook what is not
new in them.
NOT NONlCES AT EXPANSION.
First as to territorial expansion: We
surely are not nOyices at that We
have indeed done So Dupl i'm tbiS lin.