The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-23
DEPEW'S OBSERVATIONS
PUBLIC SENTIMENT AS HE FOUND 1T
IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND.
The Doctor Less Opposed to Imperial
ism than When He Left New York
French Press Still Bitter.

LONDON. June 22-Dr. Chauncey M. De-
pew has partly recanted his opposition to
Imperialism, as the result of the latest war
developments and of three weeks in Europe
During his sojourn he has had unusual OPP
portunities of learning the sentiment of
politicians and of the public. He will re-
turn to New York by the Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse on Friday.
Requested by the correspondent of the
Associated Press to summarize his views of
French and English opinion on war ques-
lions, DR.. Depew said 1.-THE sentiment in
France is about what it would be in the
United States if England and France were
fighting and every paper in the United
States were daily abusing the French, de-
nouncing the injustice of their going to war,
picturing them as a race of robbers, shop
keepers and pigs, declaring that England
was poor and was the under dog and hold
ing up France as actuated by nothing but
a pure brute desire to steal EIglands prop
erty. That's what all the papers but three
are doing in France. When we also consider
that France and Spain are both of the
Latin race and of the same religion, and
that Frenchmen have hundreds of millions
invested in SPAIN we need not be surprised
nous against us. 1 think only one man
prevents this feeling taking acute form.
That is NJ. Hanotaux, the minister Of for
Chamber of Deputies might have taken &C
tion openly siding with Spain.
There is no doubt that had Manila been
Spanish victory there would have been an
illumination of Paris. 1t was on account
of this sentiment that I endeavored to give
the causes of the war when the Temps and
Matin asked for interviews. l was told 1t
was a revelation to the French and led to
material modification of French opinion.
They had not heard our side before"
When the talk turned on England the in
terviewer suggested that the sympathies of
the British aristocracy were largely with
the Spanish. DR.. Depew said he had not
of them during my visit. he said. land
found them all enthusiastically with US.
The women are all with us. That is the
best test. The majority of the people do
not want mere understanding; they want
a hard and fast alliance. If continental
Europe interviewed on the side of Spain,
Great Britain would go as far as we were
willing to make an alliance Their idea of
the policy of Imperialism is that it could
be worked very successfully between the
two nations. They are unanimously in ia
vor of our keeping the Philippines, and
make no distinction between our making
Cuba republic or keeping it ourselves.
The result, they say, would be the same"
had changed, DR.. Depew replied; There
are difficulties in my position which did not
exist when / took 1t up. New conditions
are arising all the while with the progress
sion of the war which make it difficult to
keep out or get out of this colonizing bust
ness We must take into view the temper
of our people. who would certainly never
give any colonies back TO Spain. Trans
ferring them or any of them 10 European
power would lead to European war in
sixty days. 1t looks as though we would
have to paint our white elephant brown
and teach him to work.