Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-22
ON WHICH THE Sun NEVER SETS.
From the St. Louis Globe DemocratD

Like the empire of Charles V. the Unit
ed States Is now a land ON which the sun
never sets. Going westward the difference
in longitude between Eastport. Me. ami
Manila is about La degrees. To tho 'iwcl-
lcrs on the Atlantic coast of the United
States Manila is very near the antipoies.
Travelling westward from the eastern
verge of the country to its western boun-
dary in the far Pacific n circuit of almost
half of the globe is made. Except In mid
winter the sun rises in Eastport before II
sets in Manila. In summer, autumn and
spring 1t is daylight along the eastern
coast of the United States before II IS
night on It's western boundary. England.
France and Germany also have territory
so widely diffused throughout the globe
that the sun shines on some part OF il
every hour of the twcuty-four. but. cf
course. in contiguous territory the Cnted
States is far ahead of all Of these.
In area. exclusive OF colonies. the nita1
States is the largest nation in the world
except China. 1t far exceeds in superb
cal extent the empire OF Alexander the
Great or the Rome of Caesar and Ira ian.
1t surpassCs the domain Of Charerll lSue
of the territory of Charles Y. exclusive Of
his colonial possessions in America, which
were of indefinite extent. and which only
technically belonged to Spain. for no SPAN
lard in Charles time had ever seen any
more than small fragment OF the region
that Spain claimed in the days OF Charles
and OF his son Philip III. 1t exceeds the
empire of Russia IN Europe. In porulI-
ton the United States exceeds every
Christian nation of the globe II coloni ii
possessions are omitted. In the case of
the United States the area and popuiot on
of the colonies are comparatively trliiinS,
hut in that Of the other great Christian
countries which have been mentioned the
area OF the colonies largely surpasS that
OF the mother country, and m the casc Of
all OF them except Germany they ar cN-
ceeded by their colonies in population. In
wealth and material strength the United
States is far better equipped than aPv
other country for getting detached tcrri-
/ tory If IL should ever engage IN that task
| to any important extent.
Imperial America. which comprises more
/ than half of the inhabited portion Of one
continent. stretches its arms across 20 an
other hemisphere. Its possessions dot the
! worlds greatest ocean ana extend from
! the Arctic circle down to a point close 10
the equator. Its colonies. from the Alas
kan islands of the north to Hawaii, Che
| Carolines and the Philippines on the
! southern tier. are distributed within easy
sailing distance of each other. They cover
all climates from the trigid to the torsii.
/ When our new conqucsts are occupied the
stars and stripes will be as familiar Il
! sight on the islands Of the Pacific as is
the union jack of England. Unlike many
of the colonies OF England and other ha-
tions the United States new POSSESSIONS
will he productive. They will add SrS"ly
to the country's wealth and general re
sources. Settlers and capital from al
parts OF the world will flow into them inn
mediately after the United States gets
! them into it's hands. Through them the
country acquires II new credit and potency
and the advantages of American civillsa-
ton will be extended half way around the
globe.