Evening journal., 1898-03-28
HIGGINS ON THE NAVY.
CONTINUED From First page.l

Dy AintIltdH bldltSUeus MT. JeUtlSOu 1
believed 1t profoundly. He was The /
apostle OF coast guns and he would not
have frigate or a man-Of-War But
you need only to read the story Of his
second administration TO read an in,-
stance without compare of president
OF the United States who, entering
upon his administration with every
evidence Of popularity and power, went
to his retirement covered with mOrtifi-
cation and humiliation brought at onca
upon him, his administration and his
country. 1t was not for him TO say
/ whether there would be war or
whether there would be peace. He kept
out of war, but his disciple. his success
( sOr, his friend, OF whom he was the
| chief adviser, though no longer offi-
! cially so, President Madison, found
himself drawn into the giant folds Of
/ the NapOleonic struggle, and then we
went into that
Mr.. President, Europe indulges in no
such dreams and in no such decisions.
| Probably of all the extraordinary de-
velopments which differentiate the
| present from any past period of human
| experience nine is more remarkable
than the military and naval arIna-
ments OF the world, particularly of Eu-
rope Their full fighting force Of meu
( on the land in their armies is equip
ped, and every fort is put forth to
equalize their power, or for the one to
surpass the other in the development
of its navy. They evidently apprehend
war, and is not that apprehension well
founded? Are all the great questions
Of the wopld at rest? VIII war break
out or not: and, should it break out.
can we hope to keep free from it ard
that we shall not be entangled in 1t?
fear it Is probable; no one can say
that it is imminent; but do not be-
lieve it will be possible for us to keep
out of the struggle when that European
conflagration shall break out. The
Eastern question is not settled, and 10
will not be settled so long as the great
D I Empire of Russia, with its
great strength and its great pOssibili-
ties Of development. finds itself ex-
cluded from the Mediterranean and the
2 Atlantic upon the southern side Of its
empire. If Russia has hesitated so long
it does not follow that she will hesitate
] much longer. Building, as she is, her
= tranacontinental railway from Siberia
across to European Russia, with spurs
running down into the fertile country
; of southern Siberia, We are promised
competition in grain and ether pro
ducts Of the soil and mine that will
| rival our own Western country in the
mighty development Of empire.
Tell me that when that comes you
81 are going to hold the Russian empire
5 inside the Bosphorus. and do you sup
G pose that she win get out without G
. fight? VIII England give away her line
of connection with India through the
Suez canal? VIII Gibraltar and Malts
and Cyprus and Alden count for moth
T ing? / do not know.
Alsace-Lorraine is still the tendes
q and sore point between France ano
/ | Germany. Egypt is the sore point be-
7 | tween France and England and to-day
O the most sagacious and the closest OBJ
. servers are pointing with alarm to the
l. social and political condition Of France
IS where the socialist strength in tn
II present legislature has already strippe,
g the president Of almost oil his constl
d tutional power, and it seems 70 be fore
'e boded that the sOcialistic forces viii 81
Il grow that conservative France cai
- find protection only in throwing hersel
Z again into the arms Of the man OF
h0rs back. When that is done war 4
inevi table and Instant 1t was a hun
dred years ago, and the end Of the cen
g tury before that was marked by Euro
5 pean cCnfagration. The peace o
J. Utrecht, in 1713, and of Paris, in 1916
"a marked two worldwide struggles.
l. But, / am asked what matters that
o how does that reach us? ] think tha
IS anyone gravely mistakes the real force
VI which control our situation if he doe
4 not see that in such n struggle we are
"a part Of the European balance of power
q AS in l77S and 1872, We shall find our
selves in practical alliance with Russi.
and France, and in practical hostilit,
to England and the Dreibund. We will
= be SO when We have no aspiration il
70 common with Russian autoeracy
v tyranny and espOtism; when we hav
d none with any military despot owe
g | France; when we have every one witt
l. England, from whose loins we sprang
ii and whose liberty and law we share
al Why, then, will we he antagonistic q
r her ard her allies and in alliance witt
Ne those with. whom we have nothing II
common? 1t is because so long a
Great Britain remains power on thi
: continent, in Canada, we can be no
where else.
Every day that Canada remains
le part Of the British Empire she Is
u standing menace to us. Her fortifica
tiOns threaten us. Halifav is a menac
q TO us Bermuda is a menace 10 us an,
s, so is Kingston. So is the one opposit
d the isthmus, and so is Esquimalt, ol
a the other side; and the Canadian Pa
g. cific road built by the government, can
Y not be justified by any commercial
principle. IL cannot be sustained ex
cept rs it plumbers and rObs Americas
commerce, and was only justified as
\ military creation. We cannot ignor
T. these facts.
d The senator frnm Minnesota (Ml
'e Washburn), whom / do not see in hi
r seat a few days>ago reported from tn
r. Committee on Commerce q bin or join
ID resolution, the latter think, whicl
e. passed the Senate by present cOnsidera
ie ton and without objection ] was no
present. or there would have bee.
objection II provides fors commits
sion to lay out a ship canal iointl
Re through the United States and Canad
r. TO the st. Lawrence river 20 free tn
lf | commerce Of the Great Lakes. / con
< ceive that we cannot consent TO tha
4 Co.