The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-08
FRANCES ILL-WILL.


Telegraphing from London, under
date of June 4, Frederic Harold says:
With every desire to indorse the opin-
| ion cabled from the United States that
the French ill-will towards our people
! merely finds expression in the paltry
! columns of a foolish press, I regret to
say that. my own private adviceS this
week fail quite to explain away the
many uncomfortably hostile demon
STATIONS recently made. My own re-
srect for the greater side of the French
4 character, and for the high worth of
the French nation, which is by no
means all located in Paris, would lead
me to deny, if l could, that the French
! bitterness against America is at all
widespread.
But what are we to make of the
stories which reach US from day to day
OF open insults to Americans and of
contempt of which the nildest express
I sion. is a polite refusal to eat at the
| same table with Americans? l am per-
fectly ready to believe that this condi-
zion of things is merely transitory, and
that common sense will return after a
treaty Of peace has been signed, if not
before, but 1t is hardly consonant with
the facts to say, as some do, that
French hostility to US only exists in the
imaginations and the ink pots of Eng
lish press men.
That French sentiment is hostile to
the United States there is no reason to
doubt. The Partisan press, venal as a
large part of it is, reflects Partisan
opinion: and Partisan opinion is still
French opinion, though Paris may no
longer be France The Petit Journal
may not be stately and dignified. like
La France and the Journal des Debats,
but it is thoroughly French, and has
circulation of one million copies 1t is
anti-Ameriean, as are all the Partisan
journals, with one or two exceptions,
notably RochefOrt's LiIntransigeant
Americans are told that too much con-
sideration should not be given to the
anti-Americau sentiment found in the
French press, that it does not truly rep
resent French opinion. 1t would be
pleasant to know that it does not, as it
is unpleasant to think that it does. But
what is the explanation of the anti
American sentiment of the leading re-
view of France, almost the leading re-
view of the world-the Revue des DeuX
Mondes? That represents the highest
thought and culture of France, and
Frenchmen are pleased TO have the
Revue used as a standard by which to
judge them, both morally and intellect
ually.
A recent number of the Revue con-
tanned an article on Spain and the
United States" by NJ. Charles Benoist.
To the same degree that it is pro-Span-
ish ii is anti-American. 1t gives a review
of the Cuban question since 1895, though
the greater part is devoted to the more |
recent events. A few extracts win best |
show its true spirit. Speaking of Can
ovas' ministry, NJ. Benoist says:
NJ. Canovas del Castillo was, never
theless. not intimidated TO the point of |
in silence, all the humilia- /
tions inssparable from an armed inter- |
vention of the United States in the Gu |
han question. He knew better than
anyone that the United States had |
rnCney-the so-called 'sinews of war;"
but he knew, on the other hand, that
money is not the only sinew; that there
are othars, of which the his
toric pride of a once mighty ma
tiCn is one. He also knew, by
practical and positive proof, why it
was that the United States had been
so remarkably pliable a few years pre-
viously in their quarrel with Chill. and
Why they had taken good care not to
push that affair to extremity.
Speaking of President McKinley's
to congress, NJ. -Benoist says;
For what, when we come to examine
[ closely, does President McKinley's
Message contain? A mass of phrases
md periphrases intended to make him
say what he does not say, and not say
what he does say 1t would be difficult
o imagine a document more significant
Inder its apparent insignificance; more
)ellicose under its air of good nature.
The United States prefer to
lave free field in Cuba when they do
intervene when the moment arrives
or seeing whether there actually ex-
SITS in Cuba "a government capable of
Iefning the duties and fulfilling the
unctiops nrCper TO an Independent ma
ion"
The article concludes as follows:
The general hope and expectation in 5
america is that the hour predicted by ,
fr. Adams has at last come when the
pple of Cuba viii be detached from t
be Spanish tree. and drop upon Amer
IAN soil 1t will be fine application
{ the Monroe doctrine: America for :
he Americans. It remains to be seen
fhether the European powers, espe-
tally those who possess American d;
oionies by historical right. may not :
ave a word to say, and whether they t
lay not say it: and whether South
.merica-Latin America-will look :
assively and indifferently on, at an
of the western hemisphere
Y Anglo-Saxon America.
There is the true French sentiment,
nd it doesn't find expression in the
ve-sous press. It is well to know what
is, that Americans may govern
themselves accordingly. Nothing is
kelly to come of it all except just
Of French feelings
,wards the United States In war
me people express their true senti- S