The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-09
Great Britain and Russia.

Great Britain and Russia.
The close of the war between the
United States and Spain is more than
probably the precursor of a more san
| culinary and terrific collision between
Great Britain and Russia. 1t is not to
| he supposed that it will be confined
| to these two great powers alone, for
| midahle as they are in men and naval
ornaments. Russia will drag France
into the maelstrom of her international
complications, and Great Britain, with
| out intending it, or altogether desiring
| it, and certainly not seeking it, will
| have Japan on her side. The Tribune
some few months ago predicted that
| this war was inevitable. Everything
| that has since occurred has more than
| justified our anticipation. Terms Of
| agreement between France and Eng
| land in West Africa were bolstered up
through Lord Saisbury's repugnance
| 70 going to war in a question which
he individually regarded as of the
slightest interest to his country. He
| believed and we think rightly, that to
enter upon war to settle a boundary
dispute over mangrove swamps in an
| African jungle would be not alone in
| opportune but criminal, when the con-
| tending parties were two countries
| which ought to be friendly, and to
| which civilization is under the most
lasting obligations coniunctively. The
Prime Minister believed there was
room enough. and more than enough,
in equatorial Africa to satisfy
the ambition of European colonies If
they would only take their time and
see how little in the END there was to
be gained by precipitancy and blood
shed. Lord Salsbury's good sense and
rational precepts prevailed until the
advent of the Chinese imbroglio.
There is no question that however
willing Englishmen were to submit 10
Lord Salisbury's pacific inclinations in
coming to an agreement between Eng
land and France IN the Niger basin,
they are. one and all, determined TO
submit no further to Russia's en-
croachments in China. There is no
nation on the face of the globe so cas-
lily led into panic as the English.
1t is not that Englishmen are afraid
of the integrity of their national exist
ence, although even that sometimes
causes them qualms; but they fear
the overwhelming predominance of
Russia in the East as an unrelenting
and unscrupulOus antagonist, seeking
not territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT merely,
hut the overthrow of their commercial
and maritime supremacy. Russia fears,
and has good reason to fear, the
strength of Great Britain on sea. The
naval supremacy of England in the
Mediterranean is undisputed and in
disputable. Russia's great Trans
caspian railway is not yet completed
All her Asiatic fighting troops would
have to be dragged by long weary
stages across the steppes and deserts
of Central Asia under exceptional and
perhaps insurmountable difficulties.
The supposition that Russia could
successfully attack England on the
Hindoo Kush, or force her way through
the Hmalayas is prcposterous in the
opinion of those who know that great
and impregnable strategical position.
England has professed friend, ally
and pensoner in the Ameer Of Afghan
istan, not by any means a trusty and
faithful potentate. but one upon whom
it is thought England may rely in any
deployment of the Muscovite in the
northern territories on her Indian en-
pire. We may as a matter of fact ex-
pect tremendous fighting in Chinese
waters. perhaps within measurable
distance Of the Philippines. The great
onset, however, will not be in China,
but before Sebastopol and on the shores
of the historic Crimea in the Black
Sea. England will possibly force the
Dardanelles. occupy Constantinople,
and hunt the assassin Abdul Hammed
bag and baggage out of Europe just
as we have routed the Spaniards from
the American continent.
We do not believe that we are look
ing too optmistically on England'S
potential possibilities in war. For
, eigners are too apt to accept her burn
ing desire for peace as conscious i'm
potence or timidity. But that is not So
Her naval strength is unquestionably
, | SIOlillpuS' anu NHtTS SHe Strikes Win
, its full strength, It will carry with il
: fatal effects, The feelings of the Amer
> lean people toward Russia are those OF
sincere friendship. But the cause OF
civilization stands or should stand fol
something among a civilized people
The unbounded territorial aggrandize.
ment OF semi-civilized nation like
Russia is hardly to be looked Upon
with entire equanimity by the com.
paratively small fraction of the human
race that has evolved the arts and sci,
: ences of civilization out of barbarism
, The prevailing and sovereign idea OF
Russian autocracy is that democracy
. is failure and blunder. and thai
nothing can save it from anarchy but
the religious and political mission OF
caesarism in church and state. A con,
\ fllct between the Anelo-Saxon anC
s Slav is inevitable in the nature OF
, things and perhaps the sooner it il
a fought and settled the better it vii
r be for the future progress OF civiliza
p tion.