Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-24
The Position Of the United States Among
the Nations.

States as a pariah among the nations.
Not only is this a dark and mis-
anthropic view of the situation; bur
we do not believe that it has behind 1t
any basis of truth. 1t would be strange
indeed if the pacific policy pursued by
Of the republic had left us entirely
without friends among the nations oc
the world, nor do we believe that sucn
is the fact. From the beginning of the
present struggle in Cuba down to the
present time, the countries of South
America have lost no opportunity to
show their sympathy with the insur
gents and their GOODNESS towards Spain.
1t may be said that South American
antipathy to Spain comes naturally
enough from the memories of the past.
The early annals of this part Of the
world are filled with records of Spanish
cruelty and greed.
While the spanish yoke has been for
ever lifted from these South American
countries. their people still cherish, as
a part of their history. the earlier
stories of Spanish treachery, cruelty
ANA greed, and naturally enough. hay
ing attained their own independence
from the nightmare of Spanish msrule
are in hearty sympathy with the efforts
of the oppressed people of Cuba to al
tain similar freedom. This fact has
been plainly shown during the past
few weeks in the failure OF Spain 10
secure Warshins from any of thes"
countries, although it is said that, in
some mysterious manner. she had pre-
pared herself 10 pay cash for them and
was ready to do SO With handsome
bonus over ana above their original
cost The fact that none of thes"
countries We're ready 10 aid Spain in
speaks louder than words of the true
inWardness of their feelings toward her
When the United States wanted such
ships she had no difficulty in securing
two tirst-class ones, and there is every
reason 10 believe that South American
countries stand ready in case Of need
10 help 10 further enlargement of our
navy Time has not operated 20
soften the long standing hatred of
France for Germany. 1t was a sharp
bargain that Bismarck made for the
boon of peace at the close
was a bitter cup Of humiliation ant
f'rance,crushed and PROSTATE. drained it
to the dregs. An indemnity of a thou
sand millions Of dollars-a sum
amounting to $25 for every man.
woman and child in France-Was Il
terrible burden upon the French people,
but they assumed it heroically and in
spite of the hardshps it imposed paid
it in an incredibly short space of time.
! But all this was as nothing compared
with the loss of Alsace and Lorraine,
by which 1900, 900 Frenchmen, with the
soil they dwelt upon, passed from
France to Germany. From that day to
this down deep in the heart of every
| loyal F'renchman has slumbered, side
| by side with an mdying hatred of tn
| German empire. the hope that events
! may some day make it possible for
| his beloved country to regain the ter
| ritory thus lost to it. Because of this
mutual distrust and hostility both
nations have felt obliged to maintain
enormous standing armies, and neither
has felt inclined to become involved in
| quarrelS with other countries for fear
crue to the other. France indeed paid
a heavy price for peace, and it was but
an armed peace at that. Whatever
sympathy the people of that country
might have with Spain, in the event Of
hostilities between that country and
the United States would certainly not
! ARISE from any rove or spanish tHdf-
acter or institutions. If it existed ct
all it would be due to the fact that a
large amount of Spanish securities are
held by the French people. We do not
imagine. however, that this fact would
suffice to influence the feelings of tbs
masses of the French people to any
great extent, or to cause the French
government to take any action un-
friendly to this country. Certainly
Germany would not care to give tbs
great French Republic any advantages
that might come to it, were she to in
wife strained relations with a nation 6,
powerful and 50 rich in material re-
sources as is the United States 1t il
quite safe to assume therefore that any
friendship Spain might secure in eithe.
France or Germany would be entirely
PlatUnic in character Russia is IA,
too husily occupied with her Eastern
schemes to play the knight errant fol
Spain or any other country. Beside
that her relations with the United