The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-12
COMBINED AGAINST AMERICA.
Reasons Why the United states Is
Unpopular Abroad.

From the Independent
OF the fact there can be NJ dou. -
every visitor, more than a mere hasty
traveller in Europe, will testify to the
fact. 1t is not true we think, of other
American countries, at least to the
south of us. But Americans do not
travel much on their hemisphere, and
the Monroe doctrine has made us to he
regarded as a kindly elder brother
who can be called on for help in the
last emergency. But in Europe we
probably have not one cordial friend
amcng the nations of Europe, Indeed,
we are much in the position of Great
Britain. whose isolation is more "splen-
did" than agreeable. The causes of
this growing unpopularity would make
an interesting study, and we note
some of them.
1t is easy to see why we are unpopu-
lar in Spain. Spain is unpopular with
US. We naturally sympathize, all Of
us, with the Cubans struggling for
their Independence. But 1t is a matter
of the intensest pride with the Span
iards to hold their choicest possession.
They know the Cubans depend on our
sympathy, that they smuggle military
stores from our coasts, and that our
government has made it clear that we
cannot allow the cruel wrong to the
Cubans and the injury to our own in
terests to go on indefinitely. We are
intensely unpopular in Spain, and the
| residences of our minister and consuls
have to be guarded against popular at
| tack.
We are not popular in France. not
withstanding the hereditary friendship.
For years there has been a large
American colony in Paris. but its
members find it difficult to get any
entree into French society. French
ideals differ from ours as much as
| they do from the English. Besides, the
natural sympathy of France is with it's
neishbor Spain, which has q large col
Ony in Paris and Spanish bonds are
held in France and would be almost
worthless If Cuba were to secure inde-
| pendenca. The French believe what
the Spanards tell them, that the Uni
ted States is hungering to annex Cuba.
We need not argue the ill-will Of
| Germany; it is too plain to be missed.
1t is caused partly by the operation
of our protective tariff and partly by
the loss to the United States of so
| soldiers. But still more the cause is in
| that which is seen all through Europe,
the growth and prosperity of this
country, the development of its manu-
| factures and commerce. which excite
general apprehension. What Germany
| feels is what the Austrian premier, Co
| luchowski, startled us by proclaiminC,
that the twentieth century mus see
the union of Europe against America,
to shut out American products and in
| f1ueDce. The yellow peril. from China,
is not so much feared as the Ameri-
can peril. This apprehension affects all
Europe, though just now most clearly
expressed in Germany and Austria.
I!ut Italy feels it as well, although she
has her special grievance in the New
| Orleans lynching case.
OF the great powers there remain
Russia, which has no public opinion,
and Great Britain. President Wash
burn thinks that the mother country
| remains our friend. We trust this is
so, certainly we are her friend; but the
| Venezuela incident, and the charges
that our diplomatic correspondence
lacked courtesy, have cooled the feel
ingS,