New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-29
AN ANGLO-SAXON ALLIANCE
FREDERICK POLLOCK ON ENoIANns
VIEW OF THE PRESENT CRISIS
ENGLAND AS AN AMERICAN POWER, AND HEM,
INTERESTED IN THE MONROE DOCTRINE
THE KEYSTONE FOR AN
ALLIANCE.
Letter to The London Chronicle.

Letter to The London Chronicle.
The time seems to have come, sooner than
most OF us dared to hope for considering what
should be the points Of an effectual understand.
ing between this country and the United States
We have nothing to do directly with the mat.
tiers in difference between the United States and
Spain, and l venture TO think 1t but left.
handed compliment to our kinsfolk. however
well meant, to make them proffers Of assistance
as II they were not competent to dispose Of those
matters by themselves. Again, IL our aid 10
suporfuous for the United States. we are stli
less concerned to save Spain from the conse.
quences Of a perverse policy.
Without any derogaton from our moral claim
as Individual Engsh-speakng men. to sympac
thize with the United States grounds OF hui
mainly, l should like to observe that, from the
point of view of strict right and business, tho
Cuban question is, for the United States. simply
how long a nation is bound to tolerate nui.
sance at it's own door The complaint against
the Spaniards is not that they govern Cuba
badly, but that they cannot govern 1t at all, and
this TO the manifest damage OF the Govern
ment and citizens OF the United States. This In
emnently such question as every nation must
decide for itself. 1t Is not reducible to rule. nor
In my humble opinion. susceptible or treatment
by arbitration, or save to very limited ex.
tent by diplomatic good offices. SO far our part
could be only that of benevolent neutrality.
But we hear of attempts Of European inter-
vention. extending. 1t is said, even to proposals
for kind of European protest against the
Monroe Doctrine. or. as / would rather call It,
the Monroe policy Here submit, we have a
as an American, Power. We are the other great
Power of the North American Continent, and II
we rightly consider our position, we are as much
concerned as the United States TO forbid the
interference of any foreign Power In American
affairs. What, then, is the true Keystone Of a
possible Anglo-Saxon alliance? On the side Of
the United States, frank recognition OF our CO.
equal standing beyond the Atlantic In right OF
Canada and our joint interest In excluding
European complications from America. On our
side understood If not formally expressed
readiness 10 support the Monroe principle 0n
whose origin, indeed, we have our share) in
conjunction with the United States. by whatever
means may be necessary and sufficient, and
against all corners. This implies mutual OBJ
livion Of certain unfortunate passages In certain
dispatches. already well-nigh forgotten, TO which
/ will not more particularly refer.
An alliance on these lines. while by no means
excluding common action for any special cause
OF common interest-for example, in China
would have a permanent value beyond its ap.
plication To any particular dispute such as that
now standing open between the United States
and Spain II would make wholly for peace
and no other nation would have any good cause
for obiecting to It. Within its legitimate pur.
poses the alliance would be, according to all
reasona BILE foresight Irresistible. But IL offence
did come-we. the first shotted guns fired by q
combined Anglo American fleet might be the be-
ginning Of more ends than the DIRECTORS con-
tempated.
AS for the suspended arbitration treaty, doubt.
less that was good thing to work for when we
could see nothing better. And. as things are II
still would be good But II It comes to alliance.
shall we need 10 talk Of arbitration treatlesi
Yours faithfully. FREDERICK POLLOCK.