The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-16
MONDAY. MAY ls. 1895.
This uaper is Democratic IN principles
and is Independent in its rie,es on al loca
questions.
AneIo-American Humbug and lcs
Auti-Nonsense.

1t Is hard ITO see any real foundatioh ioi
the alarmist articles which the Sun mas
baen can,ing from Europe for the last two
days. To ordinary common sense the
formation Of an Anglo-Saxon league to
6qht the rest of the world seems only
mora ludicrous than the notion of the rest
Of the world combining to crush the
Anglo-Saxon race. Yet 1t is out OF THESE
4wo absurdities that the Suns" theory
of European interference in our present
war is constructed. That Spain might
try to float such a notion is not impos-
Smile. SPANS diplomacy, like her war
fare, has something chfldishly simple
about it. But the statesmen of Europe
are not children, and they are no more
7,ra,v 10 chase wil-o,-the-wisps than our
selves.
The ..Sun's'' scare seems to be based to
some extent upon the very odd speech OF
s.Joev Chamberlain last Friday evening;
but anyone who will retain his mental
balance and read what of the speech mas
been cabled cooIly and understandingly
WIN see that it has not the remotest sug-
gestion about it of an Anglo-American
alliance. least of all an aggressive one
Mr.. Chamberlain expressed a sentimental
and somewhat vague sympathy in our
position against Spain, and a certain
satisfaction at the success of our arms.
But this portion of his speech was
separate and distinct from that in which
he expressed forebodings of a war IN
which England herself was likely to be
soon engaged.
with the elimination of this speech, the
greater part of the Suns great scare
fabric collapses. The other parts of it
have been disposed of in detail in the
course of the last week. Thus, as soon
as London sent out a rumor that the
Emperor of Germany ~purposed putting his
oar into the Philippine dispute. an author
itative denial was furnished by Berlin.
The state Department at Washington on
SATURDAY DruSneu away the Alh SoD"S
of gossip about French Partially to the
Spaniards, and this morning Paris supple
ments the declarations of Washington by
showing, among other facts, that the de-
layed dispatches, over which there was
so much talk, were entrusted ito an Eng
lish and not a French cable company.
The antecedent ~improbabIlity of either
of the alliances suggested by the Sun
is very great. It is true England might
kite, If she could, and 1t is not unlikely
some influential person is using the
suns, London correspondent to promote
this end. But 1t is wildly improbable that
our government should be entrapped into
such a deal at a moment when England
is on the brink of a desperate struggle for
existence. We owe England nothing
which binds us in honor or generosity to
rush to her aid, and we certainly are not
so lacking in horse sense as to embroil
ourselves with the rest of the world to
keep her friendship, which we can have
for all useful purposes as a neutral
On the other hand, the notion that the
powers of Europe would assume a belli-
cose attitude towards us when they are
on the brink of a war with England is
to defeat England. fighting single handed,
may be doubted; how much less, then,
would be their prospects if she had our
active add?
Any war in which England is engaged
must Of necessity be waged upon the seas
to a very great extent. England herself
cannot be assaIIed except by sea, and she
can strike her adversaries ny sea in every
quarter of the globe.
Exactly the same thing is true of the
United States. Our geographical position
and confguration and enormous popu1a-
ton guarantee us against any military
operations OF Importance. We must be
assai1ed at sea or along our sea coast,
ana the forcel to strike us must be vastly
powerful naval organizations. Thus, it
IS plain, in attacking either Of the great
Anglossaxon powers, naval strength is
what the Continent would require.
But it is notorious fact that England
alone is far superior in naval strength to
ali the great powers of Europe together.
She has more and more powerful ships,
more and more powerful guns. more and
better trained seamen than could be OPP
posed to her by the united argosies OF
France, Germany Austria, Russia and
italy. She could beat the fleets Of these
countries wherever she found them. She
could sweep their OF the seas.
She could curtai1 their food supply and
cause them the most serious internal
peril. And they could not Ian a soldier
on her shores until they had driven that
All powerful feet OF hers from the seas.
IT il the story OF Napoleon's invasion Of
England, which never took place, al over
agatn.
nut Il the European powers would have