The Atlanta constitution., 1898-08-15
The New Situation.

The New Situation.
Such organs OF British opinion as
The London Spectator are beginning to
speak of the United States as they new
er have done before. Especially has
The Spectator been impatient or our
methods our notions, our hopes, our
democracy and our literature. Nothing
great or good, or respectable, or 1alfly
decent could issue forth from this lana
Of obtuse victims of political eQuallty'
Such was The Spectators view, ana II
was the view of pretty nearly all CUT
waited Englishmen, especially those VINO
had never made a tour Of this country
with their tubs"
But since Manila and Santiago, there
has been a distinct change of tone ana
attitude. We are pretty good fellows al
ter ALL in fact, all the criticisms that
have been leveled at us by the Brltons
has been due to the blood relationship
between the two countries, since we are
freer, don't you know. to crticise the
members of our own family. Sucn IS
the revised British view, and no doubt
there is something IN It.
ANYHOW, it was quite time that the
brethren oyer-sea should begin to per-
ceive that the real solution OF What
may be termed the world problem lies
IN the friendly and effective cooperation
Of the EngliSh-speaking countries. Some
would call it the cooperation OF Anglo
SaxOns. but that would be to narrow
the matter The man who speaks Eng
lish. even with a foreign tWang, ana be-
lieyes in liberty and admircs democratic
institutions is a good enough Anglo
Saxon for all purposes.
There are various reasons why Eng
land is beginning to find something
good In the Americans; and it does not
hurt their efficacy to admit at once
that they are selfish reasons. The
selfishncss Of nations has always been
respectable, provided 1t is open ana
above board. IT is another form or
the greatest good to the greatest num-
ber. But during the past twelve months
there have been events and happenings
which have had the effect Of bringing
home to the minds Of the English the
isolation OF that country in the Euro
pean colony of nations. II is the iso-
Iatt0n Of Titan, let US say but isola-
tion none the less.
It was pOwerless in the Armenian mat
ter. powerless in Crete and Greece, pow
erless 10 prevent the movement Of Rus
sia through China, and pOWarleSs TO
prevent the movement OF Russia
through China, and poWeress to
call halt to the partitioning of China.
The situation was an interesting one
and would have grown in interest but
for the outbreak of the war with Spain,
- observes
has demonstrated that there is new
power in the west Of be reckonod with
"A new power which IS sure some time
or other, If not now, certainly later, to
haya an effect on what is called the
European equilibrium.
The opening Of the present war found
England without any effective allies IN
Europa, Arrayed against her fn COM
mercial and political sensc) was the
triDle alliance-Germanv Austria and
Italv-and the dual allance-RUs8ia and
France. The close of the war. come
when it may. will find her on the verge
Of an understanding with the most pow
errul nation In the world. and with the
way all cleared for an effective cooper
alton. or an alliance even, should the
occasion arise.
This would involve the most tTemend-
ous combination the world ever saw, in
Guiding. as it would, that nation Of yel-
low Jackets, Japan. Continental Europe
would need all its equilibrium 10 meet
such a combination: and, indeed, would
not meet it. Instead OF war, therefore,
we should have a long era Of peace.
An alliance IS not necessary. nor even
q formal understanding. Indeed, We
think matters have gone far enough al
ready to convince European statesmen
that q new factor has appeared on the
scene. and that they will have to recast
their calculations They must be aware
that the Enslish-speaking nations will
cooperate with each other when the
pinch comes. and this fact will serve to
show them how futile q formal alliance
against these nations must be
As Tho Spectator says, this will be the
most important fact IN the history of
the twentieth century.