Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-28
THE CHINA OF THE WEST
Senator Davis Does Not Wish the United
States to Become It.
This Country VIII BE a Great War
Power After Spain Has
Been Subdued.

With great ceremony, in the presence of
an immense concourse of people yesterday
afternoon Alexander Ramsey, territorial
governor, only survivor of the Union war
governors, ex-Secretary of War, and ex-
United States senator, laid the corner stone
of Minnesota's new capitol building in st.
Paul, MINI. This 50, 900 900 building was de-
signed by Cass Gilbert of Chicago, an arch
itect we'll known all over the country, and
is being constructed of granite from ST.
Cloud, with Georgia marble for superstruc-
ture and trimmings.
Archbishop ireland prayed. The princi-
pal Grafton was delivered by United States
Senator Cushman K. Davis, chairman of
the Senate committee on foreign relations,
and the benediction was pronounced by the
venerable Bishop Whipple Of the Episcopal
Church. In the course of his address Sen
ator Davis said:
1T is not necessary to elaborate upon the
interests of the United States in the pres
ent and prospective situation. The mari
time, commercial and political genius OF
the American people will not permit their
government to be Indifferent to them. 1t
will not suffer the United States to be the
China of the west. The great question re-
mains and comprehends the commercial
and all other subjects. BY what action by
the United States do its peace and safety
require to insure to it the rightful and most
advantageous results of these new interna-
tiOnal relations and adjustments?
The situation in the Chinese orient Is
pregnant with wars, and wars in these days
of fleets built of steel and driven by steam
are different from those of the times Of
wooden walls and sails. There Is not an
inhabitable spot on the earth's surface too
remote or too strong to be exempt from
the attacks of rapaciouS and INSCRIPTIONS
military and naval powers. All of history
is false or this is true-that such wars are
inevitable
Next to China, the Pacific possessions
of the United States are the most inviting
objects of attack. Under existing cendi-
lions their defense would be difficult. Had
Spain triumphed at Manila decisively as
did the United States, her navy could have
seized Honolulu and operated from there
upon the entire coast of the states from the
coast of Mexico to the Yukon. An over
towering European force in the Asiatic
waters could do the same thing; so could
JaDan.
The situation is plainly one of alterna-
t'ves. The United States must become an
efficient element in the Asiatic situa ton or
must abstain from any participation in 1t,
return to its own shores and cover the
smallest possible share of its commercial
advantages. and preEare for its own de-
tense against the same aggresslons which
have reduced China to her present condi-
ton. 1t NAV be objected that all this is
without pr 'cedent. So it is, but all great
human evo Itions mTst precede precedents
in Greer to create them.
The present war has restored confidence
to those who feared that the spirit of our
PEOPLE and their patriotism had been ener-
waited by a long and prosperous peace.
1T is now manifest that the United
States will be at the conclusion of this war
a great naval ard military power. Many
thousands of her citizens will be trained to
Irodern warfare on land and sea. The mil
itary spirit has inspired the people. They
lave been "aised to q higher plane of pa.
trIotism.
The Monroe doctrine in the sense of an
Intention of this gCV eminent to intervene
to prevent encrOachn.ents by European ma
tons upon republics of the western hemis-
pierre. has been confirmed and has received
a steadying support. The press of CONT
mental Europe has adopted during the last
few years a fashion of resenting any theo-
retical assertion of this great principle of
American security. which was recently
characterized by Prince Bismarck as doc
trine of .un common insolence' 1t is now
probable that any European power will de-
Hberate before acting upon that assump-
ticn.
THE necessity for the immediate con-
structfon of the Nicaragua canal has been
urdeniably demonstrated by recent events.
The voyage and perils of the Oregon are
conclusive upon this proposition.
The unpleasant rela lions which have eX-
listed between the United States and Eng
land for so many years were caused by
traditional aversion, which was aggravated
by certain events of our civil war and by
many rlinor irritating controversies ths
worst feature of which is the fact that few
of them have ever been settled But
through all this 1t has been felt by the peo-
pie Of both countries that tie binds them
together, however much they may irritate
each other by straining it,