The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15
A London Review on Angle-Amer-
lean Alliance.

The Nattona! RsvtetD is one of the British
periodicals which do not exaggerate the
political Importance Of the relatively
friendly feeling for Great Britain which
has lately found expression on the part of
many Americans. II recognizes that, 80
far as the far East is concerned. there is a
community of interest between Great
Britain and the United States, and that.
under certain conceivable circumstances,
such community Of interest might lead to
concerted action. 1t is also pronounced
natural enough hat we should be pleased
with the acknowledgment made By Brit
iBh newspapers hat our war against
Spain has been undertaken for a righteous
purpose, contrasted as the acknowledgment
IL with the misrepresentation Of our mo-
tives current In the Continental press. At
the same time, the National Revietp con-
Biders 1t a mistake to overestimate the
Significance Of the phil.Anglican sentiment
which, Of late, has been exhibited In the
United States, and especially would 1t
4eprecate the discussion of an alliance for
which the time is certainly not ripe, since,
for the moment, neither Of the two coun-
tries concerned Btands In any need of
material support.
A month ago the National Retfew de-
Olined to accept the Interpretation placed
~ the New York Herald on the visit paid
to Washington by Mr.. HENRY WHITE, the
Secretary 10 the American Embassy In Lon
don. The purpose of the visit, according to
the Herald, was TO sound our State Depart
ment touching the pr~actieability of franz
ing q new treaty, 80 wide in it's scope hs to
include not only arbitration, but. under
certain circumstances, an alliance. On
this cook-and, bull story the RevtetO made
the following comment: ave should
DO inclined to bet our bottom dollar
that neither the words alliance nor
'arbitrGtion,' nor any suggestion Of sound
ing on either of these subjects passed Mr..
WHITES lips during his ~sojourn In Wash.
ington." 1t went ON to say that the arbi.
tration craze 10 as dead as Queen ANNE,
and could not be revived by fifty New York
HsrdldS combined with ono hundred Eue7.-
tnO Posts, and one thousand ~SMALLEYs."
The opinion was expressed that "these
agencies have surely misled Great Britain
sufficiently as to American sentiment to-
ward arbitration, which they dc not
represent and are powerless to influ-
Snoe." In the Judgment of the National
RSvtetO, British diplomacy did not deserve
10 DO accused of the meanneSs of seeking to
force on the United States, when hampered
by war. . measure which they had deliber-
Ntely rejected in time of peace. 1t de-
scribed. finally, as premature the talk
about an alliance" which for the moment
wa not within the sphere of practical
politics In either OF the two nations. "Let
us abstain" 1t concluded, "from weak.
sning any cordially which a community OF
sentiment. identity OF interests, and the
course of events may occasion by floating
our various fads, whether in the form Of an
arbitration that is dead, or an alliance that
iS not yet born"
Equally sober and judicious are the ref.
eTenceS OF the same review to the same
subject In the June number. In the article
entitled Episodes of the Month" the edi,
tor has occasion to discuss Mr.. CHAMBER
LAIN's speech on the dangers of Great
Britain's% isolation. in the course Of which
the possibility OF an AnKlo-SSIon alliance
was suggested. The National RsVisu
would not. for an instant. deny that snek
en- alliance would BE- Sxtrensly popular II