The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-13
AFRAID or BEING GOBnLED UP.

AFRAID OF BEING GOBBLED UP.
The success of the United States in the
| spanish-American war has filed the minds
OF the statesmen Of the Central and South
American republics with alarm. and. that
too, without any reason whatever. They
are afraid that 1t Is the intention of the
United States 10 gobble them up. Reports
OF the existence of this alarm reached this
country soon after the close of the war
with Spain. but little or no attention was
paid TO them. 1t was thought they were
started by men who were anxious TO de-
stroy confidence in the governments of
their respective countries or else were
born in the imaginations OF some of the
crazy journalists who affiict most of the
South American states. Il seems, how
ever from our Washington dispatches
yesterday. that there is really a movement
in these republics to form a combination
to resist any attempt the United States
may make to overturn their governments
and take possession of their territories.
1t is quite certain that there is no de-
sire in this country to possess any Central
or South American territory-except so
much of Nicaragua and Costa Rico as may
be necessary for the building of the Near
aqua canal, and that will be obtained ahen
needed in perfectly legitimate way. This
country has about all the troublesome
peoples on its hands now that it cares to
bother with. The Cubaus, Porto Ricans
and Fiipinos will keep its statesmen
busy for some years to come The people
Of Central and South America need not
be afraid that Uncle Sam will gobble up
their countries.
It would be a good thing for them, how
ever, if they were under the dominion of
a power like the United States. Now
they have revolutions about every year,
and sometimes oftener and consequently
they make very little progress. They will
never advance much until they have sta
bic and intelligent governments. That
they will hardly have as long as their
own peoples are in control of their public
affairs. Under the rule of the United
States theS would thrive wonderfully
They have great resources. and with good
and stable governments they would have
immigrants in such numbers and capital
in such abundance that they would make
more progress in a decade than they are
likely to make in century under their
present governments. Still, they are afraid
that the United States intend to deprive
them of their independence, and they are
trying to get together and form a defen-
sive combination.
They don't seem to understand that the
United States could have taken possession
Of baJ
and that they could overturn their gov
ernments as easily as they drove the Span
iards out of Cuba and Porto Rico if they
were so disposed One Of our warships-
the Oregon for instance-could sweep their
navies from the seas and compel sub
mission from all of their ports But the
United States are not DESTROYS of pos
sessing the republics to the south of them
They want nothing from them except
their trade, and for that they are willing
to guarantee them against European
aggression.
It seems that their ill-feeling and sus-
picions are based to some extent on the
Cerruti case, in which President Cleve-
land was arbitrator, and to
which the republic of Colombia
was one of the parties. Mr.. Cleve-
land decided against Colombia. They can
not understand how, if the United States
are friendly, a President of the United
States could have decided an international
controversy against one of their number.
The voyages which our gunboat Will
mington made up the Amazon and ORR
noco rivers some months ago also made
them think that the United States had
designs on their territory. They ought to
be able 70 see that there is no sentiment
in this country in. favor of dominating
them. 1t seems they are not however,
and so they will have to discover by
waiting that their suspicious are unbound
ed.