The times., 1898-06-28
Anieriea's Position.

tAROnE3ilS VI titt european IlcSS lliC
idea seems to have escaped the atten-
tion of numerous able writers that it
the people of the United States what
the Old World nations, with two excep-
tions only. think about them. or threat
en- or do. For practical purposes we do
not need to take account of such pow
ers as Austria and Italy, neither of
which would venture to assume even a
diplomatic initiative, and the only
others from whom any active move
ment of intervention could be conceived
as reasonably possible are France and
Germany.
1t is fair to state that we have re-
ceived assurances from both govern
ments that their intentions are friendly
and We are bound to assume that Off
cially they are, in the absence of con-
elusive proof to the contrary. But NJ
de Blowitz, the veteran Paris corre-
spondent of the London Times, asserts
that there is a strong anti-American
feeling in France. He states that there
is a widespread feeling among French
men that the United States deliberate
ly planned the present war, and forced
Spain into it. with Interior motives,
covered by the pretense of humanitar-
ianism Therefore, GalIic sympathy is
with Spain as The under dog in the fight.
We must take things as they are, and
admit that this view of French senti-
ment regarding US is corroborated by
other competent authorities and the
expression of hostility in more than a
few newspapers. Partisan and provin-
cial. There is not less evidence that
the tone of the German press has been
generally unfriendly, if not hostile, and
that the neutrality of the empire has
some appearance Of being of the ex-
pectant, armed sort, rather than other
wise
Rejecting upon the past relations of
France and Germany. which have not
mended greatly, so far as we can judge,
it would not be improper to assume that
one would be nearly certain to neutral
ize the other, in case either should un-
dertake action against the United
States in the Far East or elsewhere.
As for Germany alone, what the Kaiser
might do would not be matter for any
American anxiety. His naval power
was not equal TO ours before the war
with Spain 1t is notably inferior to-
day, and that is about as far as the
argument need go, since the German
army, if it wanted to fight, would have
to do so on its own ground or among
its neighbors. It could not get over
here and we should be clever enough
not to bother it in Europe.
The conditions, in case we were to
have trouble with France, are not es-
sentially dissimilar. In number of war
ships and tonnage the French navy is
now ahead of us; but. by the end of the
year, we shall overcome that disparity
by such additions to our sea force as
are now under way. Even then we
shall be outclassed by France on paper;
but the quality of the men on our
bridges, in our coming towers, and be-
hind our guns, will more than make III
the difference. So, we may say with
entire conviction and confidence, that,
as far as France, Germany, Austria, and
Italy are concerned, we care as little
for what they may think, say, or at
tempt, as we do for Portugal or Turkey
The two nations that we do care
about are Great Britain and Russia.
Both are on the most friendly terms
with us. Our new position as a great
power and our territorial acquisitions
in the Orient do not interfere with the
interests Of either. Every consideration
of the peace of civilization, or of the
balance of power in the East, tends to
satisfy each Of them with our posses
sion of the Philippine archipelago,
rather than that the islands should be
made a new bone of contention for Eu-
ropes war dogs to fight over. Without
the consent of the Car. no continental
government or coalition would dare or
even think to NEEDLE with our territor-
ial rights or sovereignty in that quar-
ter. Even admitting the politically i'm
possible, if such permission were gained,
our navy, added to that of Great Brit
ain, would be more than a match for
the combined navies of the rest of the
world, and the broad chances are that,
if an Anglo-American alliance were
forced by a pan-European Concert hos
tile to us. Japan would join the former
From the foregoing view of the in
ternational situation at large. our pol
icy would seem to be plain and unavoid-
able. We believe that common sense
and American straightforwardness die
tate exactly the course we ought to
pursue in our foreign relations. While
they are of an equally satisfactory
character as regards both Great Brit
ain and Russia, we must remember