The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-09

4 PROFITABLE INVESTMENT.
1t has needed just such an emergency.
as now confronts us to arouse the Amer
lean people to a sense of the importance
OF being equipped for war and asserting
ourselves. The reason we have been 30
free fran complications f. that we have
rigidly maintained policy Of non-inter-
ference In the affairs OF other countries.
This II an attitude Of repose which we
cannot expect always to maintain.
Other questions than those OF conquest
sometimes arise 70 disturb the peaceful
relations Of rival powers. Our youth
has, ~ q matter Of sober fact. been
another factor In eliminating Us from
the quarrels Of Europe. We are not
seeking to acquire territory. but to con-
Quer commerce. We do not intrude upon
the shores OF other nations, but we are
invading their markets. With the ex-
ception of Great Britain. probably the
people Of no other European country
had any conception Of the power and
magnitude Of the United States. The
controversy with Spain has attracted
the attention Of foreign newspapers OF
the provincial order to the volume of
our commerce. and the size Of our
fleet: to the immensely OF our money
resources and the preponderance Of our
influence in the councils OF the civilized
world. The youth has grown.
Much Of the money now being ex-
pended ON defenses by land and sea will
remain, even after war. a permanent
asset. They will represent far more
than the amount OF money expended
upon them In the influence they will
afford us and the resepct they will
bring us in every quarter OF the globe.
Our Intervention in the affairs VI
Cuba and the responsibilities in connec-
ton with its rehabilitation. which we
feel to be inevitable, will lead US to a
better appreciation of the opportunities
the island affords for commercial de-
velopment. This will be only the start
ing OF the food. Trade being fashioned
to meet Hispano-American demands. it
will not be satisfied with that compare
lively restricted market. 1t will seek
the broader channel afforded by the en-
tire South American territory. One
reason why we have not made larger
inroads upon that traffic IS that the
Spanish-bred inhabitants have not sur
vived the notion that the powers OF Eu-
rope are to be feared. and that the
United States may be despised.
Nothing In the conditions as they ex-
the United States viii ever extend its
territory south OF the lines which sepa-
rates Mexico from this country. The en-
terprise and stability of that country
places a bar To our further progress. II
our next neighbor were like some Of the
South American republics, constantly
emhroiled in revolutions and menacing
our peace by flights OF fugitives within
our lines. there would be a great prob
ability OF our absorbing the territory in
aeif-defense. And So our domain might
be extended until each os the weaker
states became a part OF this govern
ment.
That being out OF the question. no
territorial ambition will arise 10 embar-
rass us. Bat the field belongs to US,
and should be occupied by our products.
We believe that the successful result OF
war with Spain and the consequent lib
eratson of Cuba viii arouse whole
some respect for this nation south OF
the isthrnus. which will not only bring
peace within the borders Of the repub-
lies, but commerce to cur ports.
The Investment In war vessels will
be very profitable.