Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-11-26
ENGLAND'S DILEMMA.

tons in England are due to some
extent to jingoism and to bolster up
the Salisbury Ministry with the peo-
pie, the extensive increase in her
navy and army in progress and
urged for the future, and the anx-
iety and activity manifested by the
Government, are caused by some
thing more serious than the Fashoda
incident or any of the passing
events noted.
England is one of the few coun-
tries of the world that is not self
supporting and must depend upon
outside sources for food, clothing
and employment for her people;
and, though a leading manufactur-
er, must obtain the greater portion
of the material for her manufact-
ures from abroad; and, finally, to
dispose of her manufactured prod
uct, that her manufacturers and
their employees may be paid divi-
dends and wages, foreign markets
are her sole reliance. This explains
the incessant efforts of British ex-
ploration, conquest and occupation
of colonial possessions in all parts
of the world-to obtain food and
materials for England's population
and markets for English products.
England S vast colonial possessions
are essential to England very ex-
istence as a frst-class power, for
aside from her commercial prestige
and her financial power and advant-
ages resulting therefrom she counts
but little. 1t is to uphold and de-
fend her trade interests scattered
the world over that her large fleet
is maintained, and, now that her
commercial supremacy is threat
ened, her feet and army are to be
increased to resort to force, if neces-
sary, to prevent the growth OF the
commerce of other nations and con-
sequeut deterioration of English
trade.
The changed conditions in China
and the Far East, resulting in dis
advantages to England and great
advantages to Russia and France;
the African situation, in which
Englands prestige and claims are
threatened by all the powers; the
acquisition of Porto Rico, Cuba,
Hawaii and the Philippines by the
United States, giving to America
advanced bases for the trade of
South America and the Pacific
islands and ports; the agitation by
Australia and Canada for more free
dom to trade with foreign nations,
and Jamaica and West Indies islands
asking autonomy or annexation to
the United States, are all fraught
with danger to English trade in
terests.
Russia, with her immense popu-
lation, boundless territory and al
most unknown resources, hereto
fore penned in on all sides, lacking
the genius and capital for develop
ment and an outlet to the worlds
markets, taking advantage of her
seclusion, has quietly developed
and agriculture, built rail
roads, opened routes, canals and
waterways, branching out to her
borders in all directions, even to the
border of British India, and with
her Siberian railroad giving her the
only trans-continental route from
Europe to the Pacific ocean, where,
as result of the China Japan war,
she has obtained cessions of ports
and the right to extend her rail- {
roads to the South, places her in a
position to virtually control the {
European-Asiatic trade, which Eng l
land, by control of the Suez canal,
has been enabled to do. I
That France has been the guild i
ing spirit, as well as furnished the c
,apital, and is to share the advant-
oae Of Ruccia,S rroorecc &c No CO q