Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-06
ANGLO SAXON UNITY.
Incidental Questions that are Being Discussed
with the Main Topic.
lEAVeN OF GOOD FEELINGS is WORKING.
Suggestion to Exchange British West I,dI.s
for the Philippines-Other Sc
rious Matters.

New York, June Gone of the oues-
lions asked by Englishmen since Mr..
chamberlain's unexpected advocacy of
an Anglo-American alliance is a prac-
tical one. says the London cores
pondent of the Tribune. what hive
the Americans" they inquire, "to offer
US In return for our moral support
ana naval prestige? We can under
stand how much they have to gain
IRON an alliance with the power hav-
ing the strongest fleet afioat, especial
iy II they are bent upon changing their
foreign policy and taking an active.
part in East Indian as well as West
Indian affairs. But an alliance must
be based upon equivalent advantages.
What compensation will there be for
England in return for the tremendous
power Of the navy?"
the are questions which are con-
stantly put to Americans living in
London
The best reply which can be made
to questions of this kind is that an
alliance with America will be the
strongest safeguard against the failure
of England's food supply In time of
war The statisticians have shown
that the wheat harvest of the United
Kingdom is equal to the require
inents of only fourteen weeks, md
that during the remaining thirty-eight
weeks an imported supply is the only
source During the greater part OF
the year there II never more than six
weeks supply of wheat in England. II
importations of food We're cut off OF
partially interrupted the price of
bread would rise and a large portion
OF the population would be exposed TO
starvation This is the real source
Of danger in time Of war, as every
sober minded Englshman knows.
The United Kingdom, with its insu
lar position and its powerful fleet
would be SECURE from invasion, but IL
would not be protected against famine,
No safeguard would be so Invaluable
to England ms a good UNDERSTANDING,
with America where the largest share
of the imported food supply Is drawn.
such an understanding would be worth
rs much as powerful auxiliary navy.
The Yerburg commission on nationol
wheat stores has recently made an
exhaustive report on the subject OF
food resources of the United KCindon
and recommends the purchase and
storage by the British government of
eight million quarters of wheat as n
reserve supply for the emergency of
war. This storage scheme is ndvo-
Gated en- the ground that a fourteen
weeks SUPPLY Of food is an indispensi-
BILE requirement of national defense.
1t is not likely that any action will
be taken by Parliament upon this re-
port. with the relations between
England and America constantly i'm
proving there is certainly no urgency
for this storage project of the panic
mongers. But the fact that such a
~ to mi oh, III
of the dependence Of England upon
imported food, has not been without
Significance. The report is a store |
house Of practical arguments for Eng |
lishmcn who are seeking for evidence
Of the utility Of a treaty with the
United States,
There is another comment which Is
frequently made by Englishmen upon |
the proposals for an Anglo-Amerlcan |
alliance. This relates to the necessity |
OF imposing upon the United States an |
obligation to increase it's standing |
army and to develop the fighting re- |
sources OF its navy. The objection is |
raised that an ally who could not be |
depended upon TO mobilize an army of |
90, 900 men at short notice would be of |
little use In an emergency. Men who |
take this view refer to the fact that |
the American squadron at the China |
station, while sufficiently powerful To |
crush the Spanish fleet in the Philip |
pines, has been unequal to the naval !
forces England. France, Germany and |
Russia in these waters and must be !
largely increased and supplied with
coal from the stations and dry docks II |
there Is to be cooperation with Great |
Britain on equal terms. Otherwise am |
alliance would be a One-slded bargain
with the obligations saddled mainly
upon England and the advantages en-
joyed by the United States at a mini
mum cost and without an adequate
sense OF responsibility. Those who |
discuss the subject In this spirit CON
tend that one OF the conditions OF an
alliance must be an obligation on the
part OF the United States to Increase
the efficiency OF the navy, to maintain