The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-05

.rient, Even While the British
Press Amused Itself With Bluster
About War-AIIiance Opposition
Called Provincial by the English.
Special Correspondence The st. Paul Globe.
LONDON, Aug. 24.-The cable has
probably told many Americans the last
few days that England is about ready
TO do something terrible to Russia 1t
has no doubt represented England with
her back TO the wall and IN the act Of
bringing her foot down" again, and
getting everything made snug for
blow. The statements of this nature
cabled back here are published in Brit
ish newspapers with great joy and the
great editors are inclined to believe
that America is getting ready also to
Join in and smash all the cZar's people
to smithereens.
Meanwhile the government is miles
ahead Of this sort of nonsense and is
cheerfully getting itself into frame
of mind to accept Gracefully the in
s evitable, namely, that Russia is going
to run her own affairs her own way
without first obtaining British consent.
For twenty years or more Russia has
been advancing her civilization, and
To-Day is on the threshold Of what
may be called a boom. That she and
d America are destined to be the two
: strongest powers on earth cannot be
4 doubted. That Russia intends to con-
tlnue the development of industrial en-
terprises is proved by everything that
she does. That her sons are making
strides in art and literature Is appar-
ent, and no intelligent observer will
attempt to deny that the future Of
Russia looks brighter today than ever
in her history. The world is moving
and Russia is beginning to move with
It.
On the surface of things it may ap-
pear quite possible to stop Russian ex-
pansion. On the surface it appeared
quite easy to check the growth of
America a century ago. But Russia Is
beyond the power of any country to
dictate to her, or even to approach her
in any bully-ragging spirit. For Eng
Lsh newspapers to talk of fighting Rus
sia because she has obtained conces-
sions from China, which England pos
sibly wanted although even this is
doubtfuD, is merely IN accordance
with the senseless egotism of the whole
newspaper show over here.
The government never made a pret-
tier donkey of the British editor than
In this blow about China Month after
month the foreign office has been nego-
tiating, or trying to negotiate, with
:. China, and telegraphing and corre-
spending with Russia. Being called
upon repeatedly for statements it has
evaded making them, and the only in
formation on which Is based all this
furor is that which has come from the
Pekin correspondent Of the London
Times. During all these negotiations
the press remained quite placid until
near the end of the recent session of
parliament. Then, when presumably
the whole British case had been con-
sidered and passed on, the press broke
loose, and in the middle of the tan
trums parliament adjourned and Lord
Salisbury went bouncing off to France
for holiday.
Does this look like immediate and
terrible war?
TOO MUCH WAR TALK.
Americans have been treated to war
predictions from London until they
ought to be sufficiently supplied, but
evidently there Is room for more The
humor of these predictions is that the
bulk Of them involve a country whose
only real brave fighters are her editors,
who arrange all the details of victory
while their masters are quietly making
explanations to avoid all possibility Of
war. Englands wars are confined
these days to scraps in Africa
1t Is probable that were England at
war with a powerful nation the Lon
don editor would be the first to cry OUT
against paying a shilling a loaf for
bread. and the English manufacturer
would soon follow suit. Heaven only
knows what would become of the poor
here who are half starved in the piping
times OF peace. Fighting Russia for
the privilege Of civilizing Ii Hung
Chang may look well on paper, but less
naval budgets and more civilizing in
huences at home might help the poor
of England; and I may add that the
poor of England are the salt Of the
earth. 1t is through no fault of theirs
that they have no chance. It is the re-
suit of the detestable British selfshness
more than anything else IN the world.
There appeared in a London paper
the other day the news that a GRIM
inal, whose death sentence for willful
murder had been commuted to penal
servitude for life, had been released
from prison on license for the rest of
his life. This inspired an American
to suggest that, now that England is
tumbling over herself to secure Ameri-
can friendship, would it not be a good
idea to release Mrs. Maybrick and win
the praise and thanks of American
women? This American asks Haven't
you punished her enough for a. wom-
an?"
An amusing version Of the opposition
to the idea of favoring England at the
expense Of American relations with
other countries has reached here OF
course, it is a characteristic British
version, and is to the effect that such
sentiments are provincial" 1t is inn
possible yet for Englishmen to under