The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-23

Sun OF Sunday contained a statement that sew
eral newspapers, widely read In Germany, pub
lishod q Madrid despatch at the time Of tho De
Lomo Incident, entitled Yankee Impudence
Still Increasing" Tho frequent occurrence Of
this kind Of thing has become significant. In an
editorial some time ago The SON called attcn.
ton to tho currency given to similar comments
in d different, and apparently disconnected. parts
of Europe. After describing tho effect such
seemingly general and disinterosted criticism
must have on foreign sentiment. and tho
direction 1t would give to sympathy in the
any other country. you pointed out the SINH
larity Of mould that gave the articles referred to
an appearance of kinship, and showed that they
had commenced to circulate with unusual 40
tivity o little while before England took tho
step in Venezuela that brought out our call Of
halt. You showed, too, that tho Same phe-
nomona had appeared before, Q little In advance
Of some aggression on the part of that crafty
old land.rrabber, and declared that, Just as .
dog with q bad namo may DO kicked or killed
TOT anything, WhbLnoT no ulu IL VT hobv y wv
may DO slanderod till It's every act 10 viewed
with suspicion, and the sentiment Of countries
unfairly prepared for o national dispute. Just a.
public opinion may be Influenced in advance by
lies started by o cunning man who intends to
pick q quarrel.
This striking likeness existing between tho
ways OF individuals and the ways of nations has
heretofore interested nobody except q fow phi
losophers; but II now looks a. II the American
people were all about to receive Q philosophical
education; for. to any one WHIT has watched the
current of events into which this country 10
being steadily drawn, such chips and floating
drift are freighted with ominous meaning.
There is danger near Ms. We have slept too
long. Conscious Of our strength. We have been
careless of our enemies. Just a. . Riant. peaoo-
fully disposed, sees no reason why any one
should modest him. The experience Of China
has taught us nothing. Why should IT. China
is across the ocean. We 60 on talking Of our
numbers; We have 10000. 900 able-bodisd mon
whom wo can arm some timo II we have to:
what nation could send such an army against
usi 1t does not seem to have occurred TO ne
that NO nation would need do that, nor that,
wero such an army necessary, tho world might
send It here. Nations can combine like indi-
viduals; they have already formed partnerships.
why not syndicates or q trust" This is an ago
of business. and tho methods Of business mon
are being adopted by governments.
n,% uhv abo,ld thnv ,op,hto, ,o,frok vi q u
cause we are competing with them. The
crowded countries Of Europe which used to re-
gard us AZ q purchaser. and to bid with courtesy
for our patronage. are now buying from us, and
us making at homo nearly everything we need.
The affection of tho shopkeeper Is giving place
to tho hatred Of tho debtor. Tho Englishman.
German, Austrian, Frenchmsn. no longer Guilt
vate us; they insult us; they can't sell US much
moro; they can't get much moro Of our money.
and they don't want US to got their customers
nor to make customers Of them. But that Is no
cause for war. Isn't it, How many modern
wars have had any but commercial causesi What
caused tho opium war. tho wars in India and
hITlCAf II HOW Gambling tuO poTIlLiOu Ok
Chinai Tho shopkeepers of Europe want GUS.
toners. and they are going to have them. They
have fought for them before and they arc
ready to do it again. They are getting hungry.
and the hungry sometimes take what docs not
belong to them.
The condition on which we secured and have
so long maintained immunity for this continent
from molestation by Old World powers was
that we should not invade their continents. As
long as Invasion" was understood In . mill
tary sense We were safe; but there are m many
kinds of invasion. We arc invading the world
with our wares. and all the countries of Europe
are our competitors. Will they 60 on Compel
ing in tho old-fashioned way. every fellow for
each other. They arc ready to tear zach other
to pieces. That IL 30. yet they have . common
foe in US. and, just as all trusts are formed OF
warning interests. so national enemies may
combine to crush the competition they all have
reason to fear.
1t Is true such q combination might restrict its
operations to commercial warfare. and is doubt
less would. to all appoaranoes; but no matter
what its proposed methods. its object would DO
to keep us out Of the market. and 1t would view
without disfavor anything that might happen
to weaken this country. Infrm old Spain, hav-
ing a quarrel with us. may DO seized upon as .
cAtspaw to draw us into q war and give other
enemies, secret and avowed. opportunities to
cripple or destroy us.
These are facts which oven they who cannot
SEQ should be able to feel. We should have
foreseen them. 1t is very late. The only remedy
now is to prepare for defence as rapidly as pos
siblo, and at greater cost than l~eisurely prepara-
ton would have entailed. We should DO OK
travagant In this. The saving OF q few million
dollars may cost us billions. Let us do some.
thing to quiet the fool who tells us that Euro.
pean warships cant cross tho ocean, and
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