Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-08-05
Anerica ard tho co.cer,

.a.
The advocates Of an Anglo American
alliance seem to think that such .
union would hasten the millennium Of
peace on earth and good will toward
men. As . matter OF fact, 1t would
make the United States party to that
concert Of powers whose members
have been parties to every great war,
every disastrous war scare, aud every
ignominious treaty Of modern times.
There ri q time when an Anglo.
American alliance would not have in
volved complications with that concert.
The holy alliance, formed soon after
the fall Of Napoleon, VAS strictly
continental. During the period Of Eng
lands isolation from the continental
powers this country was encouraged
by Great Britain to promulgate the
Monroe doctrine, hoping that it would
brighten the continental powers, and
it did. 1t was not long, however, before
England was admitted to the councils
OF the continent, and the continental
alliance broadened out into the con
cert of Europe. Aud now the question
is, shall It stretch across the Atlantic,
and, under the specious guise Of
Anglo-Americanism, take in the
United States?
1t would be simply impossible for
this republic to form the proposed
alliance with the British crown with
out making itself an inseparable part
of the concert of which Great Britain
is the most potent member. The
British army is small but the British
navy more than makes up for the rel-
alive insiRnificance of the army. II by
an alliance with this country the
American navy could be made supple
mental to the British may England
would regain with interest ali that she
lost with the thirteen colonies. That
Great Britain should eagerly covet
such an alliance is only natural. but
where would our advantage come in?
What could membership in the con-
cert of Europe do for us to com
pensate III for its entanglements?
One thing is certain: If we became
part Of the concert we should be obli-
gated to share in responsibility for the
crimes Of an international character
committed by its let or authority. This
is q feature Of the case which the SEN
timentalists ignore but cannot conceal
or belittle.
The catalogue Of the crimes justly
chargeable to the concert Of Europe is
long, even il we begin no further back
than the Crimean war. Great Britain
was the master spirit Of that war, drag
ging in France, Turkey and Sardinia.
1t vas waged to prevent Russia from
having whats she was clearly entitledto-
a feet intbe Black sea and the use Of
the Mediterranean for her commerce.
The Bulgarian horrors could not be
checked until they had run their hidous
course lest the balance of power be dis
turbed. The ArmeDians were left a
prey to the unspeakable Turk because
the Sultan knew that he could not be de-
throned except by the dissolution of the
concert. The same was true when Crete
last ~revolted against Turkish misrule.
end still later when the Greek was sub
ject to Turkish vengeance. To all these
atrocities Great Britain was party. She
stood by and let them be perpetrated
lest the concert might be endangered.
Aslong as the preservation of the con-
cert is paramount with the great powers
all such iniquities must remain the order
of the day in international affairs. Does
the United States propose to become
party to such q combination, merely to
satisfy the outcry of 9 few sentimental
lists, pulpit diplomatists, and mug
wump Anglomaniaes?-ChicaRo Inter
Ocean.