The times., 1898-12-16
NO SUNSET IN AMERICA.
The Great Empire We Shall BE.
quenth to Our CnIldren,
{Frcna the 81. Louis -Glsbe-pemocrat.)

tfrcn the 4. Louis Glsbe-Democrat.)
Like the empire of Charles V, the
United States is now a land on which the
sun never sets. Going westward the differ
ence in longitude between Eastport Me-
ard Manila is about 1l5 degrees. To the
dwellers on the Atlantic coast of the
United States Manila is very near the an
tipGdes. Travelling westward from the
eastern verge of the country TO its west
ern boundary in the far Pacific circuit
of almost half the globe is made. Except
in rIidwinter The sun rises in Eastport be-
fore it sets in Manila. In summer, au-
tumn and spring 1t is daylight along the
eastern coast of the United States before
it Is night on the western boundary. Eng
land, France and Germany also have terri
tory so widely diffused that the sun shines
on some part of it every hour of the
twenty-four, but.of course, in contiguous
territory the United States is far ahead of
all of these.
IN area exclusive of colonies, the Uni
ted States is the largest nation in the
world except China. 1t far exceeds in
superficial extent the empire of Aleyan-
der the Great or the Rome of Caesar and
Trajan. II surpasses the domain of Char
lemange or the territory of Charles V.
exclusive of his colonial possessions in
America, which were of indefinite extent,
and which only technically belonged to
Spain, for no Spaniard in Charles time
had ever seen any more than small
fragment of the region that Spain claim
ed in the days of Charles and of his son
Philip II. 1t exceeds the Empire of Rus
sia in Europe. In population the United
States exceeds every Christian nation of
the globe, If colonial possessions are omit
ted. In the case of the United States the
area and population of the colonies are
comparatively trifling, but in that of the
other great Christian countries which
have been mentioned the area of the colo
nies largely surpasses that of the mother
country, and in the case of all of them eN-
cept Germany they are exceeded by their
colonies in population. In wealth and
material strength the United States is
far better equipped than any other coun-
try for getting detached territory il It
should ever engage in that task 10 any
important extent.
Imperial America, which comprises
more than half of the inhabited portion
of one continent stretches its arms
across to another hemisphere Hts pos
sessions dot the worlds greatest ocean
and extend from the arctic circle down to
a point close to the equator. Its colonies,
from the Alaskan Islands of the north to
Hawaii, the Carolines and the philippines
of the southern tier. are distributed with
in easy sailing distance of each other.
They cover all climates. from the frigid
to the torrid. When our new conquests
are occupied the Stars and Stripes will be
as familiar a sight on the Islands of the
Pacific as is the Union Jack of England
Unlike many of the colonies of England
and other nations, the United States
new possessions will all be productive.
They will add largely to the country $
wealth and general resources. Settlers
and capital from all parts of the world
win flow into them Immediately after the
United gets them into its hands. Through
them the country acquires new credit
and potency, and the advantages OF
American civilization will be extended
half way round the globe.